Détente
by Confushi Sushi
Summary: Summary: When captured on another planet, SG-1 encounters survivors of the Foothold aliens.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Détente

Season: Sometime season 7

Spoilers: 3x14 Foothold

Summary: When captured on another planet, SG-1 encounters survivors of the Foothold aliens.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and all of its parts are owned by people far greater than I, or at least far richer.

A/N: I watched some of season 3 a little while back, which planted this idea into my head. It's really too bad the show never dealt with this race again, and took such an easy cop out as "They all died... I hope." Anyway, I'm doing a slightly different chapter format, so due to length I'll probably only post a new one about every week.

détente - _noun_ - A relaxing or easing, as of tension between rivals.

**

Jack drummed his fingers underneath the smooth wooden table. Diplomacy was not one of his hobbies, and he hated it when SG-1 was dragged into it. After all, a team was created specifically comprised of diplomats. And as was his luck, they were hung up in talks on another planet. So here he was, listening to Daniel drone on about trade and mutual benefits with occasional interruptions from Sam.

At least Teal'c looked equally bored, in his own subtle way.

"So you know the magics possessed by the Goa'uld," the clan leader, Gelan, said. His green tunic bunched as he leaned forward in his chair.

"It's not magic, Gelan, just technology," Sam replied.

When Gelan only stared, Daniel continued. "The Goa'uld employ devices that anyone can learn to create and use. We can begin teaching your people about such things in exchange for the trinium. There are many things we could learn from each other, technologically and culturally speaking."

Disinterested in Daniel's pitch, Gelan turned towards Jack. "As leader of this team you must know the most about these... technologies?"

"I'm no scientist," Jack said, hooking his thumb at Sam. "Carter's the one who specializes in that stuff."

"Really? I would assume a leader to have the most accumulated knowledge among his followers."

"Colonel O'Neill is most adept at utilizing the skills of those under his command. In this, his knowledge is vast." Teal'c spoke even before Jack had a chance to object. Jack was pleased with the compliment, and tempered the wide grin that wanted to appear into an approving smile.

"Forgive me," Gelan said. He turned towards Sam. "So you would teach us how to create these devices?"

She bit her lip as she considered her words. "Eventually. It will take time to get your people to understand the technology and how it works."

"Gelan, we offer more than just technology. We have medicines to cure and prevent diseases. These could greatly improve the quality of life of your people," Daniel said when Gelan looked less than impressed.

Jack didn't like the man's attitude. He seemed far too focused on the technology. Even Daniel's claims about the wonders of modern medicine didn't seem to affect Gelan. The Uderi were a fairly primitive people, still quite a ways from electricity if left to their own devices. Apparently their rustic lifestyle didn't breed patience.

Instant gratification types weren't generally good news for them.

"Look, Gelan," Jack began, "we've been at this a while. I think it's time we head back and let our leaders know where we stand. Take stock and continue this with fresher eyes."

He eyed Jack for several moments, then bowed his head slightly. "Very well, Colonel. I wish you safe travels through the Chappa'ai."

They left the village without much fanfare. People on the roads watched them pass, but didn't seem overly interested. Something about the whole situation was bugging Jack out. He had nothing concrete to go on, and the Joint Chiefs and Hammond wouldn't be very forgiving if he botched a simple trade mission for nothing. The obsession that Gelan showed, and the way the villagers eyed them just didn't mix well.

When they were far enough from civilization Jack sighed. "Anyone else think something is a bit hinky here?"

"I too found Gelan's behavior to be most unsettling," Teal'c agreed.

"You'd think he'd be more excited about the prospect of new medicines. Diseases can be as deadly as any war," Daniel said.

The sun was already low in the sky, they wouldn't be able to reach the Stargate before nightfall. Spending the night on the planet didn't appeal much to Jack. He did feel marginally better to be spending it on their own. His gut was twisted in knots.

Maybe when they returned SG-9 would be done with their prior engagement and be able to finish the negotiations.

Teal'c walked up from his position in the rear, falling in step beside Jack. "We are being followed."

Just great. "Numbers?"

"They conceal themselves, but there are many."

Jack spoke just loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Keep on your toes campers. We've got company."

He clutched the P90 in his hands just a little tighter. Jack could start to see the faint rustling of tree limbs further into the woods, and hear the occasional crack of debris. Whether it was because Teal'c had pointed it out, or their pursuers were becoming more careless, he couldn't tell. Glancing over his shoulder, he could tell Sam and Daniel saw the same thing. The only question that remained was how to handle it.

The woods got denser just a few feet ahead. When they got into the thick of it, Jack signaled for everyone to take cover. It was best to get this over with now, whatever it was, than wait for nightfall. There was little doubt in Jack's mind that their intentions were less than honorable.

"We know you're out there!" Jack called out. "Step out and identify yourselves now!"

A deep voice replied. "Gelan wishes you to return to the hospitality of his home."

"That's an awfully kind offer, but we've already explained the situation to him. We have a curfew and daddy just hates it when we break it."

"Gelan has changed his mind, and it is not an offer."

Jack cursed under his breath. The situation was devolving fast. They'd already moved from being welcomed to receiving thinly veiled threats. While they had vastly superior weapons to what he had seen in the village, an arrow could kill just as surely as a bullet. If there were enough of them out in the fringes things could get messy very fast.

"I'm afraid we can't do that. You're just going to have to go back and give Gelan our apologies." Jack looked between the rest of his team, noting they didn't like the situation any better than he did.

"We will use force if we must," the man replied.

Jack sighed. "And so will we. I promise you don't want us to start shooting."

A man stepped out from the trees. Dark paint streaked his face, his clothes layered in dirt to add to the camouflage. He held a short spear, with a bow slung over a shoulder. He stood in a relaxed position. "I do not doubt your skill, Colonel. However, are you certain you can fend all of us off?"

The forest came alive in sound. Men stepped out from behind every conceivable crevice. Not only were they grossly outnumbered, but since they had stopped to make a stand, they were now surrounded. Dozens, maybe even a hundred men were around them. Jack had no doubt that they could thin those numbers substantially, but they wouldn't be able to get them all. Not before their position was overrun.

The man that first stepped out spoke again. "We may fight here, and ensure your deaths, or you may surrender, and ensure your survival. These are your options."

"You heard the man," Jack said softly, so their attackers couldn't hear.

"Resistance would mean certain failure, but their victory would be at a high toll," Teal'c replied.

Daniel shook his head. "They don't sound like they're very worried about the body count."

"We know they want something from us, sir. General Hammond should have time to realize we're overdue and work out a rescue," Sam added.

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "I thought so." He stood up, raising his hands as he stepped out from behind the tree. "I guess we'll see what Gelan wants to say."

*

They were divested of their flak vests, packs, and all of their equipment. Sam pulled at the ropes tying her hands behind her back and found them to be quite sound. The walk back into town was quiet, Jack tried to engage conversation but their captors weren't talking.

When they were back at Gelan's house, torches were burning brightly against the enveloping night. A dozen of the men entered the opulent home with them. Gelan was seated at the same large table they had been at hours before, eating from various plates of food set before him.

He smiled. "I see you gave into reason and surrendered yourselves."

Jack's head cocked tiredly. "Didn't give us much of a choice, now did you?"

"Certainly not. I wanted the choice to be abundantly clear to you."

Sam frowned and stepped forward. "Gelan, our people won't just ignore this. When we don't return, they'll want to know what happened."

"You can show your wisdom and save your people from an incident by letting us go now. There must have been some sort of misunderstanding," Daniel said.

Gelan shook his head, standing from the table. He walked around the barrier with his hands clasped together. "Your people may wonder, but they will be powerless to act. When we flushed the Goa'uld from this place, they left a giant curtain that stops intruders from using the Chappa'ai. It took many months for them to give up on returning. Again we shall keep it in place as long as necessary."

"Whatever you hope to get from us you could have gotten through peaceful means," Sam said. She couldn't see the wisdom in breaking all chances at a diplomatic relationship with Earth over four prisoners.

"Perhaps, but not in a timely manner. And why give up our resources for something we can have for free?"

Gelan motioned with one hand and the guards pulled them all back out of the house. They were marched behind the village into the foothills, the path lit by a long string of torches. Only the twelve men escorted them now, the rest left for whatever passed as their lives. Sam took in the surroundings, the area around the road was wide open. Tree shadows started far in the distance on either side.

Slipping out then wasn't an option, she had two men clutching at her shoulders, bunching the fabric of her jacket as they urged her along. The others were similarly restrained. Soon the entrance in the side of the mountain came into view as they rounded the slope. Sam immediately recognized the mine shaft for what it was.

So all this had been to give them four more people to toil away in the trinium mine?

"Well, this should be fun!" Jack exclaimed with mock enthusiasm. Even in the firelight Sam could see the others staring at him in disapproval.

Guards swarmed around the entrance of the mine, wielding spears and bows. They patrolled along narrow paths towards other entrances, she assumed. She had yet to see or hear any of the workers, but they were probably much deeper inside.

They were guided through a maze of tunnels. The walls were scarred from labor, angry gouges revealing where deposits had been removed. Sam wasn't particularly impressed by the shoring, and wondered if the predominantly wooden posts were what the Goa'uld had used when he had ruled the planet, or if they were just an improvisation by the new owners. Thick beams of wood between her and several hundred tons of rocks did not instill much comfort.

Finally they entered a large room. Bunks covered the floor, with only narrow aisles separating them. Many were occupied by dirty men covered in debris from their labor. They talked in hushed tones to their neighbors, some joking and others looking serious. That part did not settle well with Sam, as far as she could see there were only men.

Everyone got silent when they noticed the new arrivals, staring curiously.

One of their guards pointed inside the room. "Take a bed."

"What, no dinner?" the Colonel said, his tone rich with indignation.

"You will eat in the morning with everyone else."

With a shove they were pushed into the room, and left to the guards that lined the walls. She followed behind Jack as they made their way past the bunks near the front of the room, all of them being taken. They stopped at two empty bunks that were side-by-side.

"And this is why I don't like diplomatic missions," Jack said.

"I thought you didn't like them because they were so boring?" Daniel countered.

"Yeah, see? Either they bore you to death or they throw you into a mine. Whichever you get it's lose-lose."

Sam barely acknowledged them, too engrossed in the room. It was large, holding maybe five hundred beds. Over half of them were taken. The ceiling rose high, flourishing into a dome. Not that she could see very much from the torchlight, as it didn't illuminate the entire space. Its shape gave it extra strength, but that alone wouldn't keep the weight from crushing in on itself. The dimensions were simply too large to sustain.

"You appear troubled, Major Carter," Teal'c said.

Sam frowned, then looked at him. "Um, a little bit. This is a big space to carve out inside a mountain without any sort of support. I'm just not sure why it hasn't caved in already."

"Thanks, Carter. Now I will definitely sleep like a baby." Jack fixed her with a disapproving stare.

Sam gave a small smile. "Well, sir, I can't get a very good look with this light so I probably just can't see it. Maybe some type of trinium reinforced lattice. And... it hasn't collapsed yet."

"Thank you, my faith has now been restored," he deadpanned. Not knowing what else to do, Sam shrugged.

"So," Daniel switched subjects, "if he's telling the truth about the stargate, then General Hammond won't be able to send a rescue team through. And does anyone else find it strange that a Goa'uld has an iris-like device? Especially one that was ousted over a hundred years ago?"

Teal'c sat on the lower bunk opposite to Daniel. "The Goa'uld that ruled here was not very powerful. He would have had to use the limited means at his disposal to prevent the System Lords from taking a world with the potential value that this one possesses. A trinium mine would have been worth the cost of incursion, but not the trouble of arriving by ship."

"I love to be academic as much as the next guy, but the how or why here doesn't really affect our current situation. Bunk down, campers, we've got a long day ahead of us." With that the Colonel laid back on the bare mattress, pulling his cap down over his eyes.

Sam climbed up to the top bunk and followed suit.

*

His eyes were wide as he stared at them from across the room. Even in the flickering light he had no doubt as to their identities. The clothing alone was a dead giveaway. His hearts raced as the anger consumed him, and he barely bit back the hiss that wanted to erupt.

"Rodesh, it is them?" one of his companions, Jeefun, asked from the lower bunks. He did not look away from his quarry.

"Truly," he replied.

Sessn stood, climbing to the top of his own bunk to look. "Shryss has been merciful. She gives us the opportunity for revenge."

And they would take their revenge. His people demanded no less from them.

*

Teal'c looked down at his meal, a bowl of thin stew and a hunk of bread torn off a larger loaf. It was far better than some of the food they had been given in the past, but still not much to look at. They ate in the bunk room, apparently the only room large enough to house all the slaves at once. It also became apparent why all the front bunks were taken, when they had reached the food lines there were only a couple pieces of bread left. They had to tear the chunks even smaller and split them.

Two guards approached their bunks. Teal'c stood immediately, eyeing the men warily. He watched them grip their spears a little tighter, then the front one pointed at Sam. "You come with us."

Jack came between the guards and Sam. "What's this all about?"

"She has special skills Gelan wants utilized." The man pushed Jack aside and grabbed Sam.

Teal'c stopped Jack from stepping forward again. "A confrontation here helps no one."

"It's ok, sir," Sam said, offering a nod as she was pulled away.

All three men watched her round the corner at the large doorway. It would be best if they could stay together, to maintain strength in numbers, but there was really nothing they could do if their captors wanted to break them up. They could only hope that she would be safe wherever they were going to take her, and that they'd see her again by the end of the day.

Moments after everyone else was ushered out into the active mine shafts. They were chained to a section of wall in groups of five, and only when they were secured were they given mining picks. A few slaves, who seemed to have garnered some sort of favor, were given a box shaped device with a slightly pointed front face. Teal'c instantly recognized their purpose, while Jack and Daniel looked at them curiously.

"They are stone cutters," Teal'c explained. "Lasers focus at the tip of the device and allow it to cut through stone with ease."

As he finished, they watched one of the men activate his cutter, a red glow emitting from the dull point. He pressed it against the wall, sheering chunks away with little effort. Everyone else began swinging their picks, making far less progress.

"Work!" a nearby guard shouted, motioning to their section.

Teal'c watched as Jack swung his pick gruffly, and then followed.

*

As Sam was led out of the mountain, she squinted against the brightness of the rising sun. She could see the village nestled in the distance, smoke rising from the chimneys of the houses. To the left of the buildings she could see the start of farmland, vast fields of crops she could only guess at from the distance.

The moment was short lived as the guards tugged her to the side, positioning her in front of a stone block. Shackles hung from a thick ring embedded in the stone, and a box shaped object resting on top. They fastened the shackles around her wrists and stepped back. She tugged at them, but they didn't give.

Not sure what they expected her to do, she turned to the guard standing at her left and stared at him. His brow furrowed, but he didn't respond.

"You're going to have to give me a hint," she said.

He stepped forward and picked up the object. Holding it out in front of him, with the point facing forward, he activated it. There was a brief hum of power, and she could see the point glow faintly. It began to flicker before dying out completely. The man shoved the object back down on the table.

"Fix it."

Sam glared at him. If it was like other Goa'uld technology, she could probably repair it fairly easily, but they didn't have to know that. "It's not that simple. I've never seen this device before."

The guard grabbed the collar of her jacket and yanked her back. While she was off balance he sneered in her face. "You'll figure it out if you want to eat."

He shoved her forward with equal viciousness. Sam's hands shot out to brace against the stone as momentum crashed her against it. She winced as the metal ring bit into her hip. Before he had a chance to do anything else, she picked up the device and looked for an access panel. Several small crystals of varying colors jutted out towards her. They appeared to be undamaged, which was a plus if they expected her to repair the thing.

At the risk of pissing the guard off again, she looked up at him. "I'm going to need some tools."

*

Daniel's body ached as they were escorted back to the bunk room. The guards had been certain to collect their tools before releasing the locks, removing their hopes of using them in an escape attempt. He passed through the food line, grabbing his portion before heading to their bunks.

When he got back there, Sam was already sitting on one of the bunks. Daniel smiled as he sat next to her. "Everything go ok?"

"As can be expected. How'd you guys manage?"

Jack sat down on the other bunk with his food. "Hi ho, hi ho!"

"What task were you charged with?" Teal'c asked. Daniel saw concern in his eyes.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Apparently I'm the resident mechanic. They want me to repair the broken drilling devices."

"Sounds pretty cushy, Carter," Jack replied. He spoke around a mouthful of bread.

"Yes, sir." Sam glanced around to make sure no guards were nearby. "I've been working as slow as I can. From what I can gather a lot of them need repairs."

"That would make sense. There don't seem to be very many running down in the tunnels," Daniel said. Getting some more of the devices working would boost their productivity tremendously. The rocks confining the trinium ore were particularly dense, and those on the mining picks made dreadful progress against it.

Teal'c seemed to follow his thoughts. "This must be why Gelan chose to take us prisoner."

"How's it feel to be so popular, Major?" Jack teased. Daniel looked over at Sam and she frowned.

"They have me working outside of the mountain. However, there are two guards watching me and I'm chained to a stone slab. I don't see a way to try to escape from there."

Teal'c explained how they were equally well guarded within the mines. It seemed that escape wouldn't be on the menu until they learned a lot more about how things were run. Daniel wasn't really interested in learning more about this culture, the people seemed to have ousted the Goa'uld only to install their own ruling class to subjugate the masses.

He'd seen it enough times already.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here be some more for ye.

*

Sam managed to take most of the day fixing one device. To keep up the illusion that she was hard at work, she had taken the thing almost completely apart in an "attempt" to find what was causing the problem. The guard who had hit her before looked less than impressed, but said nothing. The other guard seemed content to let the other run the show. She took a moment to look up at the sky, noting that the sun was well into its descent. There was probably only another hour or two until darkness fell.

When Sam went back to work dismantling the current drill, the head guard stepped forward and knocked it off of the table. She jumped back as far as her restraints would allow, raising her arms in preparation for trouble. His fist slammed down on the stone.

"Enough of these games!"

Sam raised her brow, feigning confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

"You're purposely being unproductive." He took a step forward, his spear only a few inches from her chest. Sam hardened her expressive.

"I'm doing my best. This is my first time with these things. It's a miracle I can fix them at all!"

There was indecision on his face before he grabbed her shoulder. After pulling away the small chisel she held to prod into the smaller components of the devices, he undid her cuffs. Sam massaged her chafed wrists as he shoved her back in towards the mine. He shoved her towards a pale of water with a ladle.

"Water the miners. Then I shall find an appropriate way to motivate you."

He watched her go down the tunnel, but did not follow. The guards watching the miners eyed her warily as she passed down the lines. She gave out as much water as she dared, until she heard warning noises. Then she'd move on to the next group.

One small group was down a long shaft, around a bend. When she turned the corner, there were only three miners at a dead end. The three men turned together, staring at her. Sam wasn't sure what she saw in their eyes, but she was pretty sure she didn't like it.

The middle man was black, and all three were large and formidable. They wore the same dirty tunics as every other miner. She didn't know what it was, but something about them looked familiar. She had seen them somewhere, she was sure of it.

Sam was so busy trying to place their faces she almost missed the closest one lunging towards her. As it was her reaction was too slow and he managed to grab her arm before she could dodge out of range. He pulled her over with ease.

"Let go of me!" Sam managed to cry out before a hand clasped over her mouth. She lashed out, but it felt like there were a hundred hands crushing her, holding her down. The impromptu gag muffled her screams, making them impossible to hear over the din of the other miners. She panicked, only able to guess at their intentions.

They didn't rip at her clothing like she thought they would. Fists rained down on her body as she struggled to curl up and protect herself. The hand remained on her mouth as she yelped through each assault.

"Murderer!" The black man cried out. His fist crushed her chest, and the sharp stab from breaking ribs had her seeing spots.

"Your people will pay for your actions!" one of the others said.

She had no idea what they were referring to, all she knew was that she was going to die if something didn't happen soon. Where the hell were the guards? Sam fought with all her strength, but she was no match against all three. The black man moved lower, and seeing an opportunity Sam kicked out with both feet. She hit him on the upper chest, driving him back against the wall. Something cracked beneath her boot.

When he stumbled back into view, his body rippled. Sam thought she was finally losing consciousness, and her meager defenses along with it. But she was shocked when, instead of her vision graying out, the image of a man was replaced by a red armored alien.

And even through the pain of the attack, her eyes widened in recognition.

The creature hissed dangerously and grabbed her by the shoulders of her jacket. It lifted her up while the other two watched and slammed her against the wall. Sam managed to stay conscious, keeping her wits.

Her mouth was no longer covered, and she screamed for all she was worth.

The alien gurgled something angrily, the small feelers around its mouth twitching. She grabbed onto its forearms, clutching the thick exoskeleton futilely. Finally someone rounded the corner, and Sam saw the distinctive golden glow shoot from the alien's eye slits as the pain stick was applied. In its convulsions, she was slammed against the wall again. This time the darkness claimed her.

*

As they worked, Teal'c heard the groups around him talk excitedly. He couldn't make out actual words through all the din, but whatever they were discussing had everyone's attention. Only moments after he noticed the chatter guards came forward to collect their gear to release them. They appeared as agitated as the slaves.

Jack looked around as they filed towards the bunkhouses. "Wonder what's got everyone so worked up."

"They found a monster in the tunnels!" one of the slaves supplied. "Brago saw them leading it away personally."

"A monster?" Daniel asked.

"Most certainly. He said it had red armor and no face. It hissed like a snake."

Teal'c looked at Jack, wondering if the description reminded him of the same thing. Jack raised his eyebrow in a mimic of Teal'c's signature expression, and he cocked his head in return. Apparently they were thinking along similar lines.

Along the way they overheard many different stories about what had happened. Some were clearly the creation of people with nothing else to do with their time, and others weren't as obvious whether they were closer to truth or fiction.

"The monster went on a spree, and took a dozen guards to subdue."

"Two men were led away with it. They must have brought it in."

"It killed a slave."

"No, the slave was still alive."

"It attacked the woman, I hear."

"Clearly having her down here was trouble. The guards should have known that."

Teal'c's jaw clenched. He couldn't reach the speakers from where he was, but the way that they were talking he doubted they could verify their words in any meaningful way. Instead he scanned the crowd for the unmistakable mop of blonde hair.

He noticed Daniel and Jack doing the same.

"Anything, T?" Jack asked.

Teal'c shook his head. "I do not see her."

Ignoring the food line, Jack approached a guard. The guard's stance immediately stiffened and he clutched his spear in warning. "Where's Carter?"

"Get back in line."

"Tell me where the hell she is," he countered.

Two more guards came forward, and the first stepped closer. "My patience is thin. Go now or suffer for it."

Teal'c took Jack's shoulder and pulled him towards the bunks. "We will learn nothing from them."

"No kidding."

Jack sat heavily on the bunk, disconsolately eating the piece of bread Daniel offered him. They sat in silence for a while.

"She's not dead," Jack said.

Daniel nodded. "Sam can take care of herself."

"I agree," Teal'c added. While they all seemed to believe that much, it did nothing to comfort them about the condition she may be in.

Daniel frowned. "So, a monster with red armor and no face. Sounds familiar."

"Sounds a lot like those aliens that invaded the SGC," Jack said.

"It would be an accurate description," Teal'c agreed. "If it is the same alien as the ones who attacked Earth, it would explain why it attacked Major Carter here."

And at this point, with her absence, there was no doubt it had done just that.

"So, what," Daniel wondered, "they've been here this whole time? Using the mimic devices to pose as miners?"

"Maybe after we kicked their butts they set their sights a lot lower. Or, maybe they want to be here as much as we do," Jack replied.

Teal'c narrowed his eyes, wondering which was closest to the truth.

*

As the fog of unconsciousness slowly lifted, Sam felt the throbbing pain that radiated through most of her body. Rocks dug into her side, aggravating bruised flesh. She wished that they had at least had the decency to throw her onto a bed, or something a little more forgiving than the bare ground. Exactly where on the bare ground, she didn't know. The pounding in her skull made her less than enthusiastic about opening her eyes.

To buy herself a little more time, she assessed her injuries. Her arms and chest were riddled with bruises, she could feel them throb with each beat of her heart. With each breath her ribs protested, but she wasn't sure whether they were just fractured or completely broken. Sam's head felt like a vice was being tightened around it, and she was certain if she bothered to probe the back of her head she'd feel the sticky mess of dried blood in her hair.

All in all she probably should consider herself lucky.

Sam's ears cocked as she heard a sound. A low rumble that she hadn't noticed before. Continuing to listen, she recognized it as something breathing, and that realization sent a jolt of adrenaline through her body. She remembered being attacked, and that one of the aliens who had breached the SGC over three years ago was part of it. There was no way for her to be certain she was safe where she was.

When she opened her eyes, she immediately spotted the alien sitting on the other side of the room, staring at her. In a panic she tried to scrabble further away, causing several things to happen. First, she hadn't realized that she was restrained, and the cuffs bit painfully into her wrists as she pulled them to their limit. Second, she let out a gasp that left her ribs screaming. And finally, the sudden movement had her head spinning, and Sam gripped onto the wall like a lifeline.

The room eventually stilled again, and her rapid pulse returned to a more acceptable rate. As she calmed, she noticed the alien was similarly restrained, which would explain why she was still alive. It remained perfectly still, the rumbling of its breath the only sound it made.

For a while they just stared at each other. Purple blood, so bright it was almost fluorescent, streaked its left arm. So at least she wasn't the only wounded one in the room. Sam settled, sitting back against the wall. There was no reason to stay so edgy until she could figure out her current predicament.

"You were one of the aliens that attacked the SGC. That's why you looked familiar in the tunnels, you were impersonating one of the airmen on base." Sam eyed it, not sure what kind of response she should look for. Without the mimic device to translate, she wasn't even sure it could physically speak English. At least she knew it understood, as to complete their cover they had connected to the brains of the people they impersonated.

It cocked its head and made a noise like a snort. From the autopsies they did on the two intact aliens from the airplane, she knew they didn't actually have a nose. She looked into the narrow slit across the face, unable to see the small eyes from where she sat. The horizontal slit housed many eyes, small yellow orbs. The middle of the slit was intersected by another vertical one, forming a "T." The vertical slit held its mouth, with the two short feelers coming out on either side.

"Do they know the other two are like you?" Sam asked.

It shook its head, giving a deep grunt that she guessed was supposed to be "No."

And now she was curious. "You were the ones who attacked our planet. It was your leader that self-destructed and took out all of your people that couldn't escape through the Stargate. Why did you call me a murderer?"

It hissed and pulled at the chains, causing the metal to rattle. She recognized the gurgling language that the commander had spoken just before committing suicide. Sam had no idea what it was saying, but it was clearly very angry. When it spoke again, it took her a few moments to translate the rough sounds. "You doomed us."

"We were defending ourselves." Did they really expect Earth to just cave to them without a fight? Granted, without her or Teal'c, with the immunity to their mimic device through her prior blending with Jolinar and Teal'c's larval Goa'uld, things may have gone much differently. But fighting back when attacked just went without saying.

The guard who watched her entered the room shortly after. He looked between the two of them, smiling. "Not quite what I had planned for you, but perhaps more effective."

Sam just glared at him.

"It's good to see you are not too damaged, Gelan would have been very upset if you had managed to kill yourself."

"So I guess asking you to unchain me would be pointless?" Sam said. He was enjoying the moment far too much.

"It would. One such as yourself needs more convincing than most. So you'll stay here until I decide your ready to do your work correctly." The guard turned to leave.

"Wait," Sam called, making him turn. "What about food? Some water at least?"

She didn't know how much time had passed since the attack, but it was long enough to leave her throat thick and her stomach begging.

He smiled. "Perhaps tomorrow."

*

The work dragged on for Daniel. Since the work was so mindless, swing pick and repeat, his mind kept wandering back to Sam. Was she alive? How badly had she been hurt? Where was she now? And why wouldn't the guards say anything about it? He didn't have answers, so he just kept asking himself the questions.

A guard came forward, motioning to Daniel. "You, give me your pick."

Not sure what he wanted, Daniel complied. After taking the tool, the guard released his shackle, beckoning Daniel to follow him. There were several other guards along the corridor so he didn't bother resisting. Jack and Teal'c just watched, eyeing the guard warily.

He was walked over to the other side of the mine. The guard stopped him in front of a small room, handed him a pitcher, and shoved him inside. Daniel's first site was the red alien sitting on one side, its head turning sharply as he entered. Surprise had him stopping in his tracks. Their guesses had been right, it was the same alien that had attacked the SGC. It hissed as it looked at him.

"Hello," Daniel said in shock.

His outburst brought movement in the corner of his eye. Daniel turned to see Sam sitting up from where she had been laying on the other side of the room. She blinked a couple times while looking at him. "Daniel?"

"Sam!" He rushed to her side, set down the pitcher, and grabbed her shoulders. She grimaced at the contact and he pulled back. "You ok?"

"Could have been a lot worse. How are you guys doing?"

Daniel smiled. "Worrying about what happened to you. The grapevine has been buzzing, and apparently most of it's true."

Sam looked at the abandoned pitcher. "Please tell me that's what I think it is?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Daniel put the water pitcher into her cuffed hands and watched her take a deep draught. Figuring if she was that thirsty she must be starving as well, he dug into his pocket for the piece of bread he saved from breakfast. "Here, you probably want this too."

She smiled gratefully, setting down the pitcher to take the food. The alien gave a low growl. Daniel looked at it cautiously, but Sam ignored it. "Apparently they didn't take to well to being beaten before. Holding one hell of a grudge."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Is that so?"

"There are two others, at least, still disguised. I'm not sure where they are right now."

"We'll keep an eye out." He looked at her seriously. "How bad are you hurt?"

"Mostly bruises," Sam assured him. "Couple ribs might be broken, but nothing too severe."

The guard walked into the room. "You're finished here."

"Um, ok, just let me say goodbye," Daniel replied. He dropped a hand down by his boot, as if to steady himself. When he drew it back up, Daniel slid the small scrap of metal into his hand. Jack had pulled off small bits from the beds, which were far from pristine condition. He figured if anyone had a chance at getting out, Sam did from her isolation here. With a smile, he grabbed both of her hands, pressing the piece into her palm. Sam's eyes widened, and then she returned the smile. "Maybe I'll see you again tonight, it's about midday now."

She nodded. "Maybe."

Even as the guard prodded him out of the room, Daniel saw things looking up.

*

Jack smiled, slapping Daniel on the shoulder. "Way to go!"

Daniel had told them he saw Sam when he returned earlier, but he didn't go into details until they had the relative privacy of the bunk room. Then he informed Jack and Teal'c that he had slipped her his makeshift lock pick, and with any luck she'd be escaping that night. It was the kind of news that made Jack so proud of his little campers.

He had no doubt Sam would make a move. He also knew that she could do nothing for the rest of them at that time. The bunk room was lined with guards, and there was no way to slip in or out. But she could get to the gate, remove whatever they were using to keep Hammond from sending a rescue, and get back to Earth. At this point he knew they hadn't been bluffing about their "iris" because Hammond would have sent somebody else by now. Either they'd have been rescued, or they would have found themselves some new friends in the mine.

Neither had happened, so clearly there was a problem.

As for the aliens, Jack figured that there were only the three of them. The other two, whether the Uderi knew they were aliens or not, were probably being held in another room similar to the one Sam was in. There was nothing to be done about it either way, all they could do was keep their heads up, and Jack already planned to do that anyway.

No, all there was to do for the time being was wait.

*

By the time night approached, something that she could only estimate from her current position, Sam was completely wired. Following Daniel's lead, she had stuffed the scrap of metal into her boot, waiting for the right time to escape. At night most of the guards would be in the bunkhouse, and presumably the rest of the mine would be pretty much barren. There were some guards outside when they were first brought in, but they wouldn't be looking for her and with any luck she could slip into the shadows unnoticed.

The guard hadn't been in sight for some time, so Sam pulled the sliver from her boot. She angled it into the lock of her cuffs and began tweaking it. The mechanism was probably quite rudimentary, so picking it wouldn't take long.

The alien's head cocked and it made a sharp sniffing sound. Sam turned her head to see it watching intently. All she could really do was hope that it wouldn't draw attention to the room. She kept working.

It grunted, but Sam noticed the sound was subdued. She guessed it wanted her attention without raising any alarm. She looked at it expectantly. It had difficulty with sharp sounds, and took several tries to form the words. "Take me."

"What?" Sam couldn't believe it. "You tried to kill me."

"Take me!" it repeated more harshly.

She had visions of it snapping her neck the moment it was free. "I can't exactly trust you, you know."

The snort sounded amused to her. "No choice." Its feelers quivered for a moment. "You help me. I help you."

Sam didn't want to, but she didn't have any options at this point. If she didn't take the alien, she had no doubt it would create a racket and draw anyone on this side of the mountain. She had first hand experience of how piercing their shrieks could be. And really she couldn't sit here forever and debate the matter.

"And you won't kill me?" Her cuffs released as she asked the question.

The alien raised one arm, pulling the other with it. With the upturned hand it raised three fingers. Scout's honor. The sight almost made her burst into laughter. Hopefully, its word meant something.

Cautiously Sam approached, picking the lock. As soon as the mechanism released, the alien was on its feet. The move was so fast that Sam backpedaled, raising her arms in a defensive posture. Instead of attacking, it only stood there and looked at her. She frowned and its head turned minutely.

She could dwell on it later, when everyone was safely back where they belonged. Sam motioned the alien back around the corner, and went up to the doorway. Gelan had a vested interest in her wellbeing, so she put that knowledge to good use.

"Hey, anybody out there? I'm not feeling so good, I think something's wrong." Sam spoke weakly.

She heard the guard grumble as he came into the room. As soon as he cleared the corner, the alien grabbed him and slammed him against the stone wall before he could even cry out in surprise. When he fell to the ground, his face covered in blood, Sam wasn't entirely sure if he was dead or just unconscious.

The alien grabbed up the spear, and Sam was a little uncomfortable. "I think I'd feel better if you gave that to me."

It tapped its chest with its free hand. "Stronger."

And she really couldn't argue with that, so she let it be. Sam glanced into the hallway, and found it clear. She wasn't sure which way they should be heading, so she just picked a direction and went. As she expected, the way was clear. All of the guards were apparently in the bunkroom or outside. They just had to figure out how to make the break through the open without drawing alarm.

They went slow, making sure each way was clear before moving further. She wondered how close to the exit they were. After a few more turns, she could see the night sky peeking in through the opening.

"We need to do this as quiet as possible, get as much distance from here as we can before they notice we're gone," Sam whispered. The alien nodded in agreement.

As they got closer, Sam could see that this exit had rougher terrain than the main road. Scraggly shrubs grew up, and in the flicker of the torchlight she could see ample cover to hide in. Assuming they could make it that far. When she made it to the end of the passageway, she cautiously peered out. One guard was rounding the bend, moving away from them. Otherwise the area was clear. She waved the alien over, and took off.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I started this thing back a few weeks ago, then put it aside for a bit to do another story (brain had turned to mush). Anyway, I had the first two chapters done up before I posted. Just a warning that, no, I did not magically write this up in the span of a day. But I am about halfway through the next chapter, so that should be up in a day or two. Anyway, in appreciation of your reviews, here ya go!

*

All at once, the bunkroom was a flurry of commotion. Jack watched as a guard rushed in, stopping at someone he could only assume was a leader. They spoke in hushed tones, the leader becoming extremely agitated. He motioned to several guards and ordered them out. There was no doubt in his mind. Sam had made her move.

Jack only hoped that she had had enough time to make a comfortable lead.

The head guard then turned his attention their way. He locked eyes with Jack, his brow furrowing at the satisfied smirk on Jack's face. Several guards followed as he stormed across the space. Most of the slaves were looking on with interest at the new turn of events.

"You did this!" the guard accused as he approached.

"Did what? I've just been toiling away and laying here like every other Tom, Dick, and Harry." Jack couldn't help but press buttons. He was sick and tired of sitting around in a mine, it had been old the first time around.

As the leader grabbed Jack's collar, Teal'c stood. The other guards brandished their spears, preventing the jaffa from intervening. Daniel dropped down from the top bunk. Jack held up a hand to keep them both still while the leader shoved him against the end of the other bunk.

"They escaped with assistance. How did you help them?" The leader's face was bright red with rage.

_Them?_ Jack wondered. The alien had escaped too? His enthusiasm dampened, but he hid it from their captors. "Carter's a clever girl. She certainly doesn't need my help to break out. You think that was something? You should see what she can do with a belt buckle, a shoelace, and a stick of chewing gum."

The response earned him a solid backhand. Jack's head snapped back as his vision exploded in stars.

"The Chappa'ai is guarded. When they are recaptured, your Carter will wish she had not been so foolish."

"We'll see about that," Jack countered.

*

With her forearm clutched in a vice grip, Sam did all she could to keep up with the furious pace the alien set. At first she had said nothing and simply went along. She didn't want to risk the Uderi hearing them. But now she was a little more confident of their security, and knew that it was only a matter of time before she tripped up and crashed into the ground. And she was less than certain that it would even slow down to let her back up.

Her lungs burned with the exertion, and her ribs were screaming. Sam's words came out in short gasps. "Come on... I need to stop!"

It gave a sharp hiss but didn't even slow down. She wanted to avoid a facefull of leaves and twigs, but at that point she didn't have much of a choice. Sam grabbed its arm with her free hand and pulled back with all of her strength.

"Let go!" she said harshly even as the momentum pulled her feet from under her. Sam crashed against the ground, nearly pulling the alien down with her. The force knocked the air out of her lungs and kept her from crying out. The alien stumbled to a stop, dropping to a knee just in front of her. It slammed the spear into the dirt, obviously angered.

Sam curled up, desperately trying to get her breathing back to normal. The large gulps she took brought tears to her eyes. Before she could recover, however, the alien grabbed the collar of her jacket and pulled Sam up so their faces were inches apart. In the moonlight, she could only just make out the eyes staring back at her.

"Get up," it demanded.

She pulled its arm away, the position far too reminiscent of the attack for her liking. "I need a minute."

"No time." The alien stood with the spear, glancing into the forest that surrounded them. Unless its vision was that much better than hers, she wasn't sure what it expected to find.

"You guys tried to kill me. That has a way of slowing someone down."

It made the snorting noise, washing her with warm breath. The smell nearly left her gagging. She must have said the wrong thing, because it grabbed her and pulled her up to her feet. Sam winced as the alien grasped her arm again, just as hard as it had before.

With a sharp tug, she stumbled forward. "Move."

While the grip was the same, Sam was thankful to note its pace had slackened. Just a little.

*

Daniel's face throbbed, amplified by the sharp noises of the picks all around him. The guards had been less than happy with them, and had taken out the brunt of their anger on Jack. While they blamed Jack as the leader of their group, Daniel's part—as the only person to have contact with Sam—hadn't been forgotten. He could feel the bruise left by the spear handle just as clearly as when it had happened.

The mines were a flurry of activity, guards rushing in and out to deliver messages. He took it as a good sign, as long as they were frantic then Sam still had to be free. Daniel couldn't help but wonder how many of them were actively searching. They already knew that the Uderi could put up significant manpower. That was a lot of people to dodge, especially in unfamiliar terrain.

A hard shove slammed Daniel into the wall he was working on. The guard's voice was gruff. "Faster!"

Teal'c's hand was a blur of motion, capturing the guard's throat before he could react. Daniel watched on as the guard's eyes bugged while Teal'c just stared at him coolly.

"You would be wise not to do that again," he stated simply.

Another guard came from across the corridor, but stopped several feet away. Even restrained, the man was clearly afraid of Teal'c. Teal'c eyed the new arrival as he let go of the first guard. The guard sputtered as he backed away quickly. His face reddened in anger, embarrassed that he had been caught so easily, but he made no move to retaliate.

Daniel had seen that cool look on Teal'c before, arguably one of the most dangerous. A wise decision by the guard, he decided.

*

Sam stumbled the last few steps to the rocky riverbank. Exhausted and dehydrated, she wasted no time cupping handfuls of water and drinking greedily. It was cold, but the shock to her overheated system didn't even slow her down. The banks had thick growth, keeping the position from being too open.

She had just wetted her face when a loud splash had her jumping to her feet. The alien broke the surface, standing up in the water. It came to mid-chest. Sam just stared, not quite sure what to make of it. Apparently the temperature didn't bother it at all, in fact the water appeared to be invigorating.

Sam shook her head as she pulled off her jacket. She had no intention of following suit, the water was too cold for her and the current looked to be stronger than she was comfortable with. Her arm throbbed and she revealed a deep bruise as she rolled up her shirt. The water flowed across the damaged flesh, soothing it. Sam sighed.

High above, the sun was nearing the peak of its ascent. It was close enough to the Earth's rotation to seem normal. Which meant that between when they had escaped last night and now they had gone nearly half a day without seeing any of the Uderi. She had no doubt they were already in pursuit, and probably had been pretty soon after their escape. However long it took for the guard to wake up, or for someone to find him.

Following Earth directions, the stargate was northwest. Most of the night had been spent just trying to get as far away from civilization as they could, so not much real progress had been made. It would take over a day to get there. Sam guessed at least two, between trying to dodge the Uderi and accounting for her own injuries. The alien appeared unphased by whatever wounds it had sustained.

The thought made Sam frown. It was running the show, and was completely uninterested in listening to any of her complaints. At this point she was just as afraid of being run to death as she was of being recaptured. While she had had no choice in taking the alien with her at the mine, something had to change soon.

Though it stood a few feet away in the water, it was looking in her direction. For now, she was stuck.

Sam's ears cocked at the faint sound of something over the current. It was impossible to tell what it was, if it had been anything at all. But she quickly dismissed that idea as the alien's head tilted. She gave it a questioning look, then turned in the direction of the sound.

Voices, coming closer.

The alien spoke, but Sam focused on the other sounds and didn't catch it. Turning, she listened as it spoke again. "Breathe in!"

Moving faster than she could have managed in its position, the alien lunged forward and grabbed Sam. It pulled her into the current, and she barely had time to register the plan. She sucked in a breath just a moment before it dragged her under. The alien sank like a stone, bringing her with it. They moved towards the center of the river where it was deepest.

Shock from the cold water wanted to force the air straight out of her. A hand tightly clamped over her face kept most of it in. She looked up, but couldn't see anything through the moving water. Hopefully the effect worked both ways. How would they know when it was safe? And how long did this thing expect to keep her under? Without anything else to do, Sam started counting the seconds that passed.

She managed to hit thirty-eight before the need to breathe drove all other thoughts from her head. Her lungs burned, and the instinct to inhale was overwhelming. The hand over her mouth prevented her from sucking in water. But as Sam started to struggle, the alien only held on tighter. The pain in her chest grew exponentially. Sam felt her vision growing cloudy, and knew it was only a matter of seconds before she passed out. The damn thing was going to kill her, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Her body fought, managing a few more kicks before everything went black.

*

Teal'c worked off his concerns. The pickaxe swung in perfect rhythm, breaking up the stone the way he wished he could do to the oppressors of this planet. From time to time his gaze flicked to the nearby guard, and he watched with satisfaction as the man's stance tensed in response. When his gaze returned to the wall in front of him, Teal'c's lips curved up into the barest of smiles.

"Making friends as always, I see," Jack commented.

After all his years on Earth, Teal'c had learned the subtleties of sarcasm. "It was not my intention."

"No, no, T... It's their loss."

"Indeed."

*

Sam groaned. All at the same time she felt dizzy and yet her body felt like a lead weight. Though her eyes were still shut the world was spinning, adding nausea to her list of complaints. Each breath highlighted a burning in her lungs that complimented her injured ribs in a most unpleasant way. She shivered, her wet clothes doing nothing to hold in her body heat.

For a while she just laid there, marveling in the simple fact that she was still alive. She finally opened her eyes to get a look at her surroundings. Sam found herself under some sort of outcropping, not deep or organized enough to be called a cave. It served well enough to shield her from view. And the alien, who she finally noticed seated by her feet.

At first she just stared at it, waiting for some sort of reaction. But it did nothing. The breathing was steady, even, and she realized that it must be asleep. Sam felt a wave of relief wash through her, she had wondered how long it would be before the alien slept. Or if it actually did sleep in the first place.

Thank God she woke up when she did.

The thought of killing it passed through her mind. Sam saw the spear lying beside him, unprotected. In her current state she didn't know how much force she could put behind the blade. Not to mention she wasn't sure where it would be most vulnerable to attack. There were soft spots on the head and ones on the chest that resembled ribs, but if all she managed to do was piss it off she'd be in serious trouble. At the moment a clean getaway seemed like the best option.

Sam's arms shook as she crawled out from the hiding place. She was careful to make as little noise as she could, but the aftereffects of her near drowning made the task more difficult than it would normally be. Her limbs were sluggish, and Sam managed to stand up stiffly. There was no sign of the river or anything else to tell her where they were now. All there was was the sun dipping below the distant hills. With hours passed, she could be anywhere.

Going straight towards the stargate would be foolish. That particular tract had to be crawling with search parties. Not to mention it would be the most logical place for the alien to look too. She took off towards the hills and the rough forests that covered them, breaking into an awkward run when she figured she was far enough away not to disturb the alien with the sound. Hopefully she could follow them around and make a wide loop towards the stargate.

Between her position and the forests were scraggly trees growing from cracks in the rocky ground. The uneven terrain provided furrows she could hide in. No one could see her from a distance, but at the same time she was also blind. Hopefully her instincts were right and she'd be safer along this route.

Sam ignored the trembling of her muscles, knowing it was as much fatigue as hunger. Until she had a wide enough buffer, she'd have to ignore it. The repetition of motion made her actions a little surer, a little steadier. By the time she reached the thick woods Sam had almost forgotten the pain and weariness. It barely registered as she pushed herself forward, even as the darkness grew and she could barely see what was in front of her face.

Her progress became dreadfully slow. Sam shivered in her damp clothes, her body finally reaching its limit. With a sigh, she stopped by the base of a large tree. Using the detritus on the ground to hide herself, Sam curled up tightly against the rough bark. She was out immediately.

"We are expected to find them in this?" The voice immediately pulled Sam to consciousness. It was close, perhaps thirty feet away. She dared not move.

"Gelan is certain the woman intends to go to the Chappa'ai. If it is merely her intention to hide, our efforts here are futile."

"Perhaps if we had more men our search would be concluded by now."

The second voice gave a small laugh. "And who would bring in the crops? No, we could not sustain a large search. Harvesting is always a fight with time in the best of seasons. If Gelan would allow some of the miners to be brought down to assist, winter would not seem so perilous."

"Just be sure he does not hear those words from you."

Sam listened as they started walking away, talking about the latest developments with their children. When she couldn't hear them anymore, Sam turned her head as far as she could to see if the coast was really clear. The angle was hard to make without moving too much and disturbing her shelter. But she didn't see any sign of them, and sighed in relief. She wondered how close they might have gotten before she had been alerted.

It was just past daybreak, so at least she hadn't slept for too long. Sam got up as quietly as possible. Her first priority was to find some water. Downhill seemed like the best bet. And with any luck she would find something along the way to eat that might not be poisonous. A steak would be great, but more likely she'd have to settle for some grazing. It didn't sound like such a stupid option when her stomach was cramping.

When the trees began to thin, Sam found a couple of plants tangled around the smaller trees. Small fruits the size of crabapples hung from the vines. The skin was a rusty red. It didn't take much for her to play the odds. She had enough going against her, starving was just another straw she really couldn't afford.

The fruit tasted more like biting into a raw potato. Were she not ravenous, she would have spat it out immediately. As it was she barely noticed, and cared even less. Hopefully taste was the only dangerous thing about it. She made herself stop after four, but lined the pocket of her jacket and pants with as much as she could fit. Sam was almost amazed how much better she felt with something in her stomach.

After a couple more hours she found the river again. At least she guessed that it was the same one as before. There was less cover at this point, but she didn't see it getting any better as far as she could see. The grass was tall, and hopefully that would be enough. Besides, if the two searchers she overheard were right, there weren't too many of them she'd have to worry about avoiding.

Sam was cautious, crouching below the waving stalks. The grass was mottled with green and a dried out gold. Between her BDUs and hair she blended in well. When she got to the edge she saw the banks were sandy, a layer of black silt covering the lighter dirt. It crunched under her boots as she crouched down by the edge. Sam drank it up, wishing she could carry some with her as easily as she did the food.

She'd have to be sure to keep near the river, which Sam did not like.

A flurry of footfalls had Sam's neck turning around sharply. She immediately saw the red blur tearing through the open field. The alien didn't blend at all. There were a couple hundred feet between them. Sam looked around quickly, on this side of the river there was no place to hide. If it came down to speed, she knew she'd lose. On the other side, after the banks, the terrain became rocky again. Her only hope was to lose it in the maze of obstacles. But first she had to get across the river, and the approximate forty feet she'd have to swim would cut her lead significantly.

Sam jumped in, the current pulling her downriver as she broke the surface. Adrenaline empowered her as she clawed her way across. Cold water bit into her, soaking clothes that had only just dried from her previous time in the water. Her boots sank into the sand along the opposite bank. With the current pulling at her, and her clothes heavy with water, Sam lost her balance and fell down.

The black silt coated her clothing and stuck to her hands. Sam pushed herself up and sprang for the rocks. Risking a look back, she saw the gap cut by more than half, and still closing. It probably wouldn't even be slowed by the water like she had been.

"Damn it!" she hissed in frustration.

Her path was completely random. She kept as low as the terrain would allow, praying the debris of rocks would shield her from view. Cold had numbed her skin, and she couldn't feel the sharp edges of rocks biting into her palms and legs as she climbed over obstacles. Using the sun, Sam just made certain she didn't accidentally get turned back around.

The rocky ground opened into another field. This one held no cover whatsoever. A hundred feet between her and a jutting hill of stone. Even from that distance she could see the extensive crags and caves, an ideal place to shake off a pursuer. Maybe the alien wouldn't notice her before she found cover. Sam didn't expect that would be the case.

A burning sensation shot through her body, strongest along her left side. Sam wasn't sure what to make of it. She was almost across when her legs began to feel funny. They seemed to grow heavy, numb, along with the rest of her body. Sam stumbled and fell. It was all she could do to get back up, getting her limbs to cooperate took all the concentration she had. But she only managed a few more steps before she was on the ground again. The burning grew stronger, somehow unaffected by the general numbness that was settling over her. As it intensified, the source became clear. It was strongest where the black substance coated her body.

Sam could see now that it was not silt, but extremely small objects clinging to her by a series of fine points. She tried to wipe them off with her heavy arms, but they merely attached to the new surfaces. All she managed was to spread them even more. Her muscles were almost completely paralyzed, she was helpless. The pain became all encompassing and Sam whimpered against it.

The alien approached slowly, walking the last few steps until it was standing directly over her. Sam looked up in fear, expecting the spear to finish her off. Instead it merely stared at her, leaning slightly against the weapon. Its rumbling breath was rough from exertion. Not knowing the alien's intention, Sam wasn't sure if talking could help her or only anger it further. There was no doubt in her mind that it was already furious, otherwise why come after her? Its head shook slowly, as though displeased.

Sam wondered if she had outlived her usefulness to the alien.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: It's amusing to me that so many people seem surprised by the whumping. I mean... have you read my other stories? (please, read my other stories! lol) Anyway, I believe it is a disorder clearly documented in the DSM IV. I'm a recovering whumpaholic, and, as ever, I have once again fallen off the wagon. Woke up with cramped hands, a dry mouth, and the 'F' key stuck to my forehead. It is a vicious cycle, my friends.

Hello, my name is Confushi and I'm a whumpaholic... it's been seven minutes since I tried to physically, emotionally, or psychologically destroy an imaginary person...

*

"You had best not managed to get yourself killed," Rodesh spat out in his own tongue. He wondered how she possibly survived so many years being so completely foolish. Looking at her brow furrowed in obvious agony, the urge to leave her to her own folly was strong. Watch her die a painful death, if the toxin was indeed fatal.

But his brothers would not be free if he simply left her to die.

And to that end, he couldn't tarry in such an open position. As much as it pained him, he'd have to hope that Sam had not damaged herself too badly. Whatever she had managed to coat herself with was clearly to blame. When he had passed through the river it found no purchase on his exoskeleton. Even if it had there would be no way for it to inject its poison through the hard barrier. But now that he knew the dangers it posed, he didn't want it too close to his vulnerable areas. Which meant that slinging her over his shoulder would not be the wisest move.

Rodesh grabbed Sam by the collar, just under her chin, and started dragging her to the caves she had been running towards. He felt the small organisms crushing in his grip. The faint crunching was mildly satisfying, but after tracking her for so long it did little to ease his mood.

Somehow she managed to grab his wrist. After seeing how she could barely move, he was amazed she could do as much. Rodesh slapped her limb aside.

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked.

He did not care to hear her voice. "Be silent."

"I thought you were going to kill me."

_The day is still young_... Rodesh couldn't help his thoughts straying towards human ideas from time to time. An unfortunate byproduct of being hooked up to someone else's mind. He pulled her up until her feet were grazing the ground. "If you wish help... Do not speak again."

While he spoke perfect English, it was a chore to form the sounds without the aid of Shryss' Cloak. So his sentences did not reflect his skill.

Sam got the message, shutting her mouth. He pulled her up the rocks, wondering if she could even feel it through the effects of the toxin. Rodesh took a final look at the surrounding terrain. There was no one in sight. She was extremely lucky that no one had been around to see her failed escape. With a heave, Rodesh slid her into a wide depression on the rocks. It was the best place he could find to clean her off that had both enough light and cover.

He propped her to a sitting position with his leg. Undoing the buttons on her jacket, he peeled off the wet garment and tossed it aside. Some of the organisms had fallen inside the fabric and clung to the black shirt Sam wore underneath. With a sigh, he removed the shirt as well.

Sam began to struggle, as wasted as the effort was. She could barely move. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Keeping you alive."

Rodesh knew what she was thinking. Humans had an unhealthy obsession with sex. He'd sooner remove his lesser heart with his own hands. Sam's expression tightened as he removed her boots and pants. Swiping away the last few that still clung tenaciously to her flesh, he noticed the scratches that they had left behind. The flesh was barely pierced, but angry red streaks highlighted the wounds that were otherwise insignificant.

Half-conscious, he slung Sam over his shoulder and moved her inside one of the deeper caves. He was confident she wouldn't be moving for quite some time. So he grabbed up her discarded clothes to see if they could be salvaged. It wouldn't do to save her only to have her freeze to death on him.

*

Sam cried out as something brushed across her skin. The contact was faint, but it sent a sharp pain echoing in its wake. While her nerves were hyper-sensitive, her muscles were still mostly useless.

The alien's had clamped against her mouth. "Be silent!"

Sam realized it was redressing her as she felt the fabric of her shirt pulling down once again. Her pain was muffled against its hand. When it completely covered her chest the alien allowed her to recover. The constant pressure where she rested against the ground, and she assumed, his body, was somehow less violent than the whisper of the material sliding on her body. It only translated into a deep ache.

Slowly she settled, her gasping breaths turning to something a little more regular. Apparently satisfied that she wouldn't cry out again, her mouth was freed.

"Oh, God," Sam hissed. Finally she noticed the sky was dark. And that the shirt was the only thing it had put back on. The thought of going through that again made her flinch, as miniscule as the gesture was.

When she saw the alien pick up her pants, she whispered sharply. "Wait! Wait!"

"The night is cold."

And putting those on would hurt like hell... She could hardly ask it to start a fire instead, and broadcast their location to anyone who cared to look up. "I... need something."

Sam guessed that the alien would be frowning if it were capable. As it was the tiny feelers tensed, probably a manifestation of its frustration. After looking around briefly, the alien held out her jacket in front of her face.

"If you're expecting me to take it from you..." Sam began.

The alien snorted. "Bite."

Reluctantly Sam did as she was instructed. She tasted the dirt that clung to the material, and wished it didn't have to rest against her tongue. Sam's eyes snapped shut as the alien once again approached her legs. It slid the pants up to mid-thigh in one swift motion. An act that had her vision exploding into stars and made her yelp into the bunched fabric.

She couldn't decide if the action had been an attempt at mercy or cruelty.

Sam was barely coherent as the alien lifted her and finished the process. At least with her current state she almost didn't notice when he took her jacket and pulled it on. She was set back on the rocks, and Sam spent several minutes just laying there, regaining her composure. Silence stretched forth as the alien sat beside her and stared out at the expanse.

Words issued from Sam's mouth without any real thought. "So is there something I can call you besides 'it'?"

The sound might have been a laugh, but she couldn't be certain.

"Rodesh," it said simply.

"Rodesh," Sam repeated. "Male? Female? Neither?"

This time she knew it was laughing.

"Male."

If she could figure out his motivations, she'd be better able to figure out just where she stood. Sam wasn't entirely sure why she was still alive. Whatever he might want could range anywhere between revenge and necessity, and she fervently hoped it wasn't the former.

"What's so special about Earth? Of all the planets out there, why did you choose ours?"

Rodesh clenched his fists tightly. The gesture had her shrinking back, wondering if she had gone the wrong way about it. Their gurgling language issued forth. Sam guessed that it translated loosely to a string of swears. Something about that sort of language seemed to cross language barriers with frightening ease.

Part of her wanted to renege the question, but she suspected the damage had already been done.

"My people... are going to die."

"Why?" There was no reason for Sam to back out now.

His head shook, clearly unsettled. Whether it was more anger or devastation, she had no way to even guess. A complete lack of facial expressions made Rodesh impossible to read. And she started to wonder why she was empathizing with a creature that had been responsible for a number of brushes with death in the span of a couple days.

It was something she prided herself on most of the time, but this was just ridiculous.

"Our world is dying."

"There are hundreds of uninhabited planets," Sam said. Hundreds of places they could claim as their own without having to wage some sort of war. It still made no sense to her.

"Not an option. Need certain conditions. Rare conditions. Not repeated in our galaxy."

Extragalactic. Teal'c had heard something that suggested it, but of course they had no way to verify. It was a long way to go. A testament to their desperation. And they had obtained information on them somehow. Knew that what they were searching for was here.

"Earth has what you need... Can't you look somewhere else?"

She heard him exhale heavily. "Need remaining power... to evacuate."

*

"So first you jump me in the mines and try to kill me, and now you're going out of your way to keep me alive. I've got to say... trying to figure out your angle is awfully damn confusing." Sam's voice was filled with frustration.

Rodesh thought it was a very simple explanation, one that should have been easy to figure. In the mines she had been another helpless prisoner. She held no value then. There had only been the potential for some sliver of revenge. Though, even if they managed to kill her, all of SG-1 even, it would not have evened the scales. Four lives did not equal an entire race.

But then he saw her picking the lock on her shackles, and the entire situation changed. If Sam managed to escape, he knew that she would return with a rescue for the rest of her team. There was no way Rodesh would let her go free while he and his brothers remained imprisoned. And after failing his planet, he could not allow himself to fail Jeefun and Sessn as well.

He had to go with her. Had to _make_ her help them too.

If he got her word, he knew that she would not back out on it. Her team had an honorable reputation. Her general too. That much about her Rodesh could respect. Between here and the stargate, he had to get her word. He gave her enough credit that she wouldn't believe he had a sudden change of heart. Honesty appeared the route he had to travel.

Rodesh finally answered her. "We need your help."

Sam's brow creased. "So... you need me."

"And you need me." With a snort he gestured to her current position. She turned away in embarrassment.

"I can't exactly help you attack our world again."

Their forward party in this galaxy was severely decimated. The device to manufacture Shryss' Cloak was lost to them. As scattered as they were, it was doubtful they'd get there hands on the kind of power they needed to open a stargate to their world. Even if they did, all his people would have to come through or be stuck on their dying planet. And the gestating females and young would be exposed to an unbalanced environment for however long it took to capture the world for themselves. Most likely those they fought to save would die in the wait.

No, _that_ ship had sailed.

"Only wish freedom. For my brothers." So they could continue searching for another world with the rest of the survivors. It was a long shot, but it was all they had left.

"Those other two."

Rodesh nodded.

While she clearly wasn't convinced, he could see her beginning to waver.

*

Sam had listened while Rodesh explained why his people weren't a threat. There was no way to verify a word of it. And it could all be a clever tale spun for her benefit, of course, but she wasn't ready to toss it all out as lies. Enough of it tracked for it all to at least be reasonably possible. They had set on her at the first possible chance in the mines. She had felt their rage very, very clearly. With that kind of anger, she knew that they would've attacked again by now unless something very serious prevented it. Certainly nothing so trivial as 'patience'.

So maybe saying they weren't a threat wasn't the right way to put it. They were merely powerless to act on their needs or desires.

The one thing Sam did know without a doubt was that the anger was real. Rodesh had been fighting it this whole time, with limited success. He cared enough about the others to resist. If there was something else going on, hopefully she'd figure out what it was before they got to the stargate.

Sam got very little sleep through the rest of the night. By the time the sky began to lighten from the approaching dawn, the pain had become a deep ache that settled into all of her muscles. Her joints were stiff, but with a great deal of effort and concentration she managed to stand using the rocks for support. With help she could move... but not very fast.

Voices echoed faintly up the rocks. Sam frowned, wondering if the people would simply pass them by, or if they'd be forced to defend themselves. Apparently Rodesh wasn't willing to wait and see. He stood with the spear, staring at Sam before disappearing down the slope. The look had clearly been a warning to stay there. As if she really had a choice. Sam pushed away from the wall, and the mere act of standing on her own left her legs trembling.

Yeah, if she tried to run now she could see herself tripping up and breaking her neck.

She listened for some indication of what was happening. Hoping that he just went closer for a better idea of what the search party was doing. Knowing that her hope was a false one. But there were no sounds, the voices had faded into silence as the men got further away. Her ears strained uselessly. How many men had actually been down there? Could Rodesh get the surprise he needed to take them down, if his motives were what Sam believed?

Perhaps twenty minutes went by before she saw the shock of red climbing back up the rocks. Sam saw a pack slung over his shoulder, and her stomach clenched at the tangible proof of her suspicions. He hadn't merely stolen it, the stains on the short spear told otherwise. While she was no stranger to killing, it was the fact it might easily have been avoided that unsettled her.

"Did you really have to?" Sam asked angrily.

Rodesh's response was to sling the pack so it landed before her. The flap burst open as the momentum forced the contents out onto the rocks. Sam stared at items wrapped in cloth, and a container. A water skin. For several moments she didn't move, but practicality finally won out.

She carefully kneeled over and grabbed the skin. After uncorking it, she dumped out some of the liquid onto the rocks to make sure it was water, or at least something drinkable. If it was the searchers' supplies, then it wouldn't make any sense to be carrying anything dangerous. But she had been pretty lax so far, and after the previous day she had a little prudence seemed justified.

The clear liquid soaked into the rocks. When there was no reaction, fizzing or anything to raise her suspicions, she took a very tentative sip. Warm water moistened her tongue and her body cried out for more. She managed to wait a few seconds before she obliged.

After having her fill she resealed the container. Then her attention went to the cloth bundles. Unwrapping them revealed various foods, breads and produce. She tore off a piece of bread and ate it slowly. While it was bland, it did the trick. Rodesh kneeled beside her, and grabbed a piece for himself. Sam watched as he tore it into very small pieces before stuffing them into his mouth.

*

Rodesh had one arm wrapped around Sam's waist while one of hers grabbed at his shoulder. Neither had been particularly eager about it, but necessity demanded it. So both had set aside their reservations, largely ignoring their contact as much as they could. They were only going at a walk. He watched her struggle to go even that fast. Her legs moved awkwardly, and the hand on his shoulder clutched so hard he could feel it tremble. Sweat coated her brow and her face was pulled into a perpetual grimace.

He felt a begrudging respect at her determination, and immediately detested himself for it.

Even at their pace, Rodesh believed they could reach the stargate before nightfall. His memory had always been formidable, and he recognized the terrain. He and his brothers had explored a good deal of the area before trying to get information from the villagers. They didn't have the technology to assist them, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be able to point them towards someone who did. Unfortunately, that's when they had learned of the leader's propensity for throwing people into his mine.

Those months had not dulled his recollections. He knew the terrain from this direction would remain rough and well protected. With so many other points of entry that were much easier, their chances of running into someone was low. And since they could only walk in the first place, their progress would not be hindered. If it were, Rodesh would simply sling Sam across his back.

For the time being, that wasn't necessary. He helped her around rocks that jutted from the forests growth, and over fallen logs that were rotting away. They didn't talk, she was too busy and he was not inclined. Every couple of hours he'd just stop long enough to give her water and a little bit of food. Sam would take them automatically, and then they'd start off again. He saw that her stiffness had largely been replaced by a general fatigue. She leaned heavily against him.

Rodesh didn't need her entirely useless by the time they got there. They already had enough of a disadvantage. Before she was even aware of what he was doing, Sam found herself being carried. She tried to wriggle out, but his grip was secure.

"Hey!"

He continued walking as though she weighed nothing. "You should rest."

The fact that she was not over his shoulder he justified by the fact he didn't want all the blood pooling in her head and disorienting her. He was not ready to admit he was starting to see her as an ally, however slightly. Attributable to the memories left from the guard he had once impersonated, and nothing more.

Though she clearly resented it, Sam did not resist very long. And despite her brooding, eventually her head lolled back as she fell asleep.

When they were near the clearing with the stargate, the sun was approaching the horizon. Rodesh set Sam down so he could get a better look at the situation. She immediately stirred. Leaving her there, he went forward until he could see the stargate. Four men stood around the device, chatting with each other. Their slack postures showed they weren't expecting any problems. They probably assumed that the escapees would be caught long before they reached their position. Or otherwise were confident in their numbers. Further inspection showed another man at the far side of the clearing, patrolling around the edge.

Probably having drawn the short straw, as it were.

After several minutes, Sam snuck up. She stood against a tree and eyed him warily. Her expression was reserved, realizing the moment of truth had come. Knowing that neither had come to a solid conclusion about the other just yet.

"So... what now?" she asked. Wondering as much about the situation between them as she did the situation around the stargate.

He was still considering the former. "There are five guards."

"And no way to sneak up on them."

He shook his head. Even as distracted as they were, there was no way to clear that distance without being seen. And the single guard who actually seemed to be doing his job only lessened that chance. One option came to mind, but he needed an answer first.

"You will help them?" Rodesh was sure to keep his voice low.

"I'll try," she said hesitantly.

The answer was not good enough and he grabbed her shoulder, pushing her against the tree she hid behind. "Swear it."

Sam eyed him back. "Excuse me?"

"Swear to me!"

Her eyes widened for a moment, weighing her options. Then her gaze hardened again. "Ok... I'll help you."

Rodesh remained as he was until she spoke again. Sam sighed.

"I swear..."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you all for your reviews, they make me squeal with joy (I squeal... it's a guilty pleasure). And I guess I should clarify... by "recovering" I of course meant "shameless". Guess I just thought everyone knew that.

To berenice - I got my definition from dictionary dot com. All of the definitions listed there were essentially the same. And when I read your comment, I immediately looked around for other definitions, to see if there was an alternate one I missed. So far, I have found no others. Now, perhaps it has other definitions, but my definition is _**A**_ correct one. Thank you for trying to keep me honest, the effort is appreciated.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled chapter.

*

"Remain concealed," Rodesh told her before disappearing into the foliage.

Sam's mouth hung open with her unspoken retort. Just what she would have said she didn't know. Tell him to wait? Ask what he was thinking, though she believed she could hazard a pretty accurate guess? Or maybe she would have simply asked why he was trusting her now, despite all the events of the last few days that should have proved neither of them were deserving of it? It really didn't matter, because she didn't see how any of her questions might have affected anything.

The patrolling guard was circling towards where she was hidden, so Sam pulled further back into the trees. She could barely see anything from where she was now hidden. All she could do was listen, though there really wasn't that much to hear. The faint voices of the group. The dissatisfied tromping of the guard who had patrol. Otherwise there was only the incidental sounds of the forest.

Time dragged on slowly. As the guard passed, she slid her way back forward. With the light quickly fading, she saw the main group light up a fire. Sam continued to scan the outskirts, but saw no signs of Rodesh. Even when the circling guard went in and got a torch she saw no activity. He used it to start lighting up fires they had prepared around the perimeter. The sun had disappeared and there was almost no natural light left filtering through the sky.

He was approaching one of the last fires that remained to be lit, almost directly across from Sam's position. She caught the brief reflection of the flames on something just within the tree line. It was behind the guard, so he never saw it, and the others were far too engrossed in their tales to even pretend to look. If she had not been watching so intently, Sam would have missed it too. Her body immediately stood up, though there was nothing she could do but watch.

The man leaned over to set the next fire, and she watched Rodesh's silhouette burst forth from the trees. She couldn't see much detail from the distance, but she hardly needed to to see what happened. The guard took a shoulder to the back at full speed. He crashed into the freshly kindled fire, sending pieces of wood flying in all directions as sparks shot forth. If the burst of light didn't catch the others' attention, the man's scream as his clothes caught fire certainly did. She watched the man still with one stomp.

There were many much more inconspicuous ways to have taken out the man, but none of those would have elicited the desired reaction. Said reaction being the other four grabbing burning hunks of wood and rushing towards the aggressor. And by catching their attention from a distance, he had built himself a lead. Or maybe she had misjudged his plan entirely, as he just stood still.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" Sam muttered to herself. She willed him to move, because there was no way he could take on four of them, not all at once. Rodesh remained in an aggressive stance until they were nearly halfway across the clearing. _Then_ he finally took off.

Making sure they were close enough to smell blood, she realized. Keep them from losing him in the dark and deciding to give up.

Sam watched the torches disappear into the forest, their light fading with them. Their outraged screams took longer to dissipate. Part of her wanted to chase after them, but there was no way she could run. And nothing she could do besides get caught if she tried.

She managed to cross the clearing to the stargate without falling. The effort left her legs shaky, though. Leaning against the DHD, Sam took in her surroundings. She noted the MALP had been toppled onto its side, the arm and all the other peripherals broken off. It reflected the light from the nearby fire. So did the barrier within the ring of the stargate.

Finding a solid barrier there hadn't been the first thing she expected to find. Goa'uld favored forcefields, and Sam figured that they'd used some adaptation of that technology. For whatever reason, maybe even simple practicality, they had gone with the tried and true metal shield. It was remarkably similar to their iris, which in itself wasn't that big of a shock. They served the same purpose so it stood to reason that they would function in basically the same way. At a glance the only real difference she could see was that instead of spiraling shut at the center, the triangular sections came together in one flat sheet.

The DHD seemed like the most logical place for the control. Sam found a sliding cover just above the normal interface, a green crystal button concealed within. When she pressed the button the triangular pieces receded into themselves, until they appeared to disappear completely within the ring. So when this stargate didn't have its iris activated, there were no outward signs that it even existed. She only felt slightly less stupid for not having found it before.

But she didn't have time to contemplate it for long. She didn't know how long Rodesh could keep the guards running around. She didn't know if any search parties were close enough to catch the commotion. Essentially she didn't know how long her window of opportunity may be. And since she wasn't in possession of a GDO, her hope lay in being able to piece together the MALP.

It laid with the wheels facing the fire, which meant that she didn't get decent lighting. Sam grabbed a flaming piece of wood, tossing it into the dismembered satellite dish. Now she could make out the torn wires jutting from where the top panel had been ripped off. Parts of the video camera lay smashed all around her. The microphone and speakers were equally trashed.

Sam found that the internal parts were more or less intact. Which meant that she had power, confirmed when she got a small jolt from one of the frayed wires. The main radio unit appeared to be in working order. If you discounted the microphone and speakers at least. She sighed, because it was going to be damn ugly. And because she wouldn't truly know if it worked until she got some sort of reply.

Separating through the mess, Sam pulled out the severed ends of the microphone wires and laid them out. Then she went back to the DHD and dialed in the coordinates to Earth.

*

General Hammond immediately looked up when the offworld activation alarm sounded. He was already out the door of his office when he heard the stargate come to life, and saw the iris close through the window in the briefing room. Normally he wouldn't be so interested in the event, it happened all the time and was usually no more than a team reporting in or returning home. But with SG-1 being held on what had been revealed as a hostile planet for the better part of a week, the implications were so much greater.

They had seen the planet's iris device closed before the natives destroyed the probe. It had been left on the planet to facilitate long range communication while SG-1 was in the middle of negotiations. So they had known they couldn't send anyone through to attempt a rescue. Hammond had ordered they connect to the planet every six hours and send through a radio transmission. And each time there had been no response.

"What do we have, Sergeant?" Hammond asked as he entered the control room.

Davis looked up. "We're picking up something on one of the MALP frequencies. It's only intermittent, and just sounds like static, sir."

"Let's hear it."

With a nod the technician pressed a button. A loud _pop_ on the speakers had everyone in the room grabbing their ears. The sound was turned down. It was the same thing over and over. A brief instant of a high pitched squeal that gave way to a deep trembling hum. Then the hum would end in the abrupt _pop_. All that changed was the length of the hum and the silence in between.

After a few more cycles, Hammond thought he was catching the pattern. "Morse Code?"

"I think so, sir."

He listened and found the same string repeating over and over.

S O S C A R T E R

A thrill of excitement ran up his spine. He gripped the back of Davis' chair. "Open a channel." The Sergeant gave a nod. "This is General Hammond. Do you read me?"

The signal did not stop, nor did it change.

"Major, we have received your message," he tried again. But there was still no indication that he was heard. A couple more minutes passed before the signal went dead and the stargate disengaged.

Hammond stared at the empty circle. "I want a MALP prepped and ready to go through immediately, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir."

*

Sam sat against the DHD, on the opposite side as the fire. She looked out across the field as best she could in the darkness and listened for signs of trouble. Mostly she waited. Waited for the stargate to burst to life. Hoping they had gotten her message, and had been able to understand it enough to know where it was sent from. If nothing else they'd be able to tell it was one of their frequencies, and that would be a start.

She guessed that about twenty minutes had passed when Sam heard the mechanical whir as the stargate came to life. Immediately she stood up, not wanting them to catch her sitting. She didn't want to give them any reason to doubt her condition. The shimmering field of blue remained untouched for several moments. Then the surface was broken by the familiar shape of a DHD. Sam waited for the machine to trundle to a stop before she came forward.

The camera angled towards her before the general's voice came through the speakers. "It's good to see you alive, Major."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied eagerly, relief plastering a small smile on her face. But the mood was quickly lost as she returned to the moment. "We need a team here to secure the stargate immediately. They guards they had posted here have been distracted, and they could return at any time. If they close up the stargate again, we won't get another chance."

There was a pause before the reply. "SG-3 is being assembled. What is the situation, Major?"

"We were double-crossed, sir. Gelan, the local leader, decided that he wanted to take rather than trade. They attacked us on our way back to the stargate. I managed to escape, but the Colonel, Daniel, and Teal'c are still prisoners in the trinium mine."

"What kind of numbers are we talking about?" Hammond asked.

Sam bit her lip. "Perhaps a hundred guards at the mine, but they have over twice that many as slave labor. The regular population is mostly busy with the day-to-day things, it appears to be harvest time on planet. If we can pull this off they shouldn't be a factor."

Now she could clearly hear the skepticism in his voice. "What are you thinking, Major?"

Her plan was very risky, but she hoped she could persuade Hammond to go through with it. He wouldn't like the details. As long as she didn't go back through and get checked out first, she might be able to get him to sign off on it. Even if he did, she knew she'd catch hell for it later, and was fully prepared to do so.

"Chaos, sir. If we can get them busy enough trying to restore order, then they won't have the resources to come after us in any significant way. I'm going to need a few things and as many teams as you can spare. And..."

More than explaining her plan, she hated the other news she had to give him even worse. Because there was _no_ way he was going to like it.

"And?" he prompted.

"General, um, I didn't escape alone. And I may have made a deal..."

*

"Thank you!" Jack called out to the guard's retreating backside. He tugged at the shackles that held him to the wall one final time before sagging back against the stone. "Yep, a regular old vacation this is."

Daniel shrugged from his position nearby, and Teal'c looked equally unimpressed. "If you say so."

"Oh, but I do. We don't have to toil away anymore, at least."

Apparently learning from their earlier mistake, all three had been thoroughly searched before being moved to their new accommodations. The head guard was growing increasingly frustrated as the days wore on. And Jack's satisfied smirks were not helping his moods, so finally he had ordered the three of them pulled off the work force.

Luxury... if you discounted the decree of no food or water.

Only half a day had gone by in their current predicament. There was still time, and he held full confidence in Sam. With no word either way, he had to believe that she was safe, and had found a way to contact Earth. Before too long, these guys wouldn't know what had hit them. A can of SGC whoopass sounded very good about now.

*

Rodesh ducked inside a thick stand of bushes. His hand clutched at the wound on his lower abdomen, barely slowing the blood that flowed freely down his exoskeleton. When his pursuers had started to split up he had thought to take the opportunity to better his odds. Unfortunately the stray man had been more vigilant than Rodesh had anticipated. Before death had taken him, Rodesh found a knife sticking into his vulnerable flesh. There was a deep gouge where the blade had deflected off of his protective armor. Had only the blade been an inch or two lower, and he may have gotten through unscathed.

The pained cry had alerted the others, and he had only just managed to outrun them.

Using his brief respite, he checked the severity of the wound. While healthy adults were not quickly susceptible to worlds the rest of their people couldn't live on, injuries could quickly change that. Their blood was well filtered and foreign bodies found within were largely harmless. However, the organs depended on this "clean" state. If harmful substances or bacteria were introduced to them directly, it would require a strong and immediate medical response to be non-fatal. Something that did not exist in his current setting.

Fortunately he did not feel anything too severe. The exoskeleton had absorbed a significant portion of the blade's momentum, making the wound much less severe than it could have been. So he could continue this chase for a good while longer.

Or he could end it here. He had already run these guys around for over two hours. So no matter what happened now it would take them a long time to get back. If Sam were able to get through to Earth, it would already be done. And while he had held her to rescuing the others, nothing obligated her to do the same for him. Rodesh would rather have it out now, than try to fight them off later when his strength was further flagging.

As he thought they would, the three charged right by his hiding spot without even noticing him. As the last guard was about to pass by, Rodesh charged out and tackled him to the ground. He heard the man's air escape as Rodesh's full weight crashed upon him. The others were already sliding to a halt, twigs breaking and leaves sliding underfoot.

His own spear had bounced out of his grasp, so Rodesh took the one that his victim had been carrying and took off. While he was no longer running, he wasn't just going to sit still and make it easy for them. It was his intention to make them pay for each mistake they made.

They were so close that he could see the light from their torches fading into the darkness around him. Shadows of trees and branches danced and grew as the lights bounced furiously. Rodesh zagged through the trees, keeping his path from becoming predictable. As much to discourage the use of any projectiles they may be carrying. Or to keep a more enterprising soul from trying with his spear. Something he wouldn't do in this situation, but it never meant that his opponents were equally intelligent.

Rodesh didn't see the third guard, nor had he expected the man to recover so quickly, until the spear reflected the torchlight behind them. The man swung the weapon down in a chopping motion, grunting with the force put into the motion. Unable to stop or dodge, Rodesh bent over to protect himself. With a loud _crack_, the tip slammed just below his shoulder. The attack pushed him off balance, and the pain left him dazed.

Kinetic energy alone was enough to send all the nerves in his arm alight with pain. But it hadn't stopped there. The _crack_ had been from his exoskeleton pulverizing beneath the blade. Rodesh gripped his arm, feeling the large chip that was now missing, and the fractures that radiated from it. When the man didn't immediately set upon him further, he realized that the man's spear, the one Rodesh had left behind, had suffered a near identical fate as himself. The tip had flown off into the forest, and the man handled the shattered handle dumbly.

Rodesh pulled himself up as the three men watched in amusement, tempering their awe.

"He broke my spear clean in two!" the wounded guard said as he brandished the severed handle.

One of the other guard's laughed. "Should've cut him in two. Quite the armor he has."

Rodesh made a growling noise as they surrounded him. His wounded arm hung limp, blood streaking down it.

"Well he's not invincible. Still think you're a tough one? Stupid beast." The third guard stabbed out with his spear, and Rodesh batted it aside with his good arm.

"Let's just kill it already. It's not like it can tell us where the woman is."

"He probably killed her. And didn't leave enough behind so we can end this damned search."

The guard poked at him again, and this time Rodesh grabbed behind the spear tip and shoved the butt into the man's gut. Maybe he could take another one of them out first. He was bringing his newly acquired weapon to bear on the other guard with an intact spear when the air filled with several _cracks_, these much sharper and more abrupt than before.

He immediately recognized the sounds, only slightly shocked as the three men crumpled to the ground. As though their strings had been cut. Rodesh watched as Sam walked into view, flanked by several armed soldiers. Gun mounted flashlights converged on him. If he had not seen her injuries, he might have missed how she struggled to hide them.

"Hold your fire," Sam warned the men.

Rodesh eyed her, the only sound being his breathing.

Her gaze held on his injuries before she spoke. "You know, some people would call this karma."

*

"You said yourself my plan is stupid, so why do you want to come?" Sam asked.

She cringed as he packed gauze into his wounds, hissing as he did so. When she had tried to point out that wasn't a good way of treating injuries, he had snorted something unintelligible in her direction. So she had shut up. He knew more about his own anatomy than she did, after all.

"You require help," Rodesh answered simply.

"You're hurt."

His head snapped up, staring at her. Sam knew what he was going to say. Thankfully, he said nothing though. Because the last thing she needed was questioning to what he meant by _So are you._

She dropped it, instead pressing on another important point. "They'd probably just kill you. That doesn't sound like much help to me."

"Convince them of my... importance."

"I might not be able to," Sam replied. Once again, he only looked at her. And she shook her head, sighing. "Fine. It's your life."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: What lovely words for a writer to receive! I'm sorry to report though, for those of you who want this story to go on and on, that it is ending. I had not planned to make any sequels to this, but SGfan13... you may have swayed me (yes, I'm easy, and no, get your mind out of the gutter!). But there are so many other things my muse wants to write, that it's not going to be right away. Anyway, fear not. While the story may be ending, my career of whumping is far from over. I thought this was going to be one chapter, but it just kept going on and on, so I decided to break it up to post. And yes I realize in a more realistic setting she would not get away with this, I chalk it up to artistic flare.

This would have been done days ago, but I screwed up my back so that even the thought of sitting at the computer was painful o.O

*

If someone saw them now, and Sam dared to tell them that she and her companion were the rescue team, they would be met by hearty laughs. The strength of the reaction might even be enough to incapacitate their adversaries. Because no one would believe that these two bedraggled forms could save themselves, let alone anyone else.

Of course, these onlookers would not see the two SG teams following at a healthy distance, and be unaware of a third group defending the stargate.

There was Sam, clothes caked with the dirt and grime she had accumulated from the planet. Her injuries were hidden, save for a couple bruises that could be brushed off. The paralytic that had been in her system had finally worn off completely. Unfortunately, her inflamed skin had started to itch. It reminded her of when she had fallen into a patch of poison ivy as a kid. Her chest was tight from muscles that had tensed around her injured ribs, and really she wanted nothing more than to pass out in a nice warm bed for a week. Or two.

Rodesh could not conceal his wounds. He had used strips of the guards' clothes to secure the gauze in place. They had to make it appear like they had been wandering the countryside this whole time, and the sight of manufactured bandages and tape would have shattered that illusion. His injured arm hung limply, though Sam wasn't sure if it was simply pain that kept it immobile, or damage to nerves and other structures within. Probably some mixture of both. With his good arm he clutched at his abdomen, limping along.

He refused help, though Sam wasn't sure how much she could give in the first place. Rodesh had to weigh at least as much as Teal'c, maybe more. Even on a good day she wasn't sure how far she'd be able to lug him, and that was only taking part of his weight. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to find out.

The sun began to rise again. It was a sight Sam was growing all too tired of seeing. She had been wandering on this planet long enough, and she needed to get herself and her team out of there immediately. At that thought she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c since she had escaped. A lot of time had passed, and there was no real guarantee that they had stayed out of trouble. But as annoying as Jack could be, she knew he wasn't stupid. He would never risk his people that way. They had long ago learned that his abrasive sarcasm was employed to protect everyone else. At his own expense.

They were fine. Because if they managed to get themselves killed while she was gone, she'd come down and kill them again.

No longer worried about being caught, quite the opposite in fact, Sam and Rodesh took to the less concealed terrain. Only stopping short of using actual roads. It helped to perpetuate the idea that they had run out of steam: hungry, exhausted, lost escapees that wouldn't be able to outrun their pursuers for much longer. And making themselves somewhat obvious would speed things up.

Fortunately, it wasn't too much longer before she sensed movement in her peripheral. She knew that Rodesh saw it also. But neither of them acted as though they noticed anything wrong. There were three of them, and Sam saw that they were splitting up to try and flank them. Preparing for Sam and Rodesh to try and run. Not aware that they had no intention of doing so.

It was only then that Sam let herself wonder if she was overestimating her value to them. After all they had given up, it would be a complete waste if they just killed her now. A very poor return on investment. When she had been arguing the point with Hammond, who she knew was going to give her a hard time no matter how this went, she had been extremely confident about the fact. Being this close to several armed men only served to remind her that the fact she predicated her entire plan on was just intuition. And it was possible that she had misjudged their resolve.

Too late to back out now. She wouldn't even if she had the chance. Because this felt like their best chance to get the others out. If they merely attacked from outside, they couldn't sneak through the mine without going noticed. And when they were seen, Jack and the others would still be helpless prisoners. This way would at least even the odds, she hoped.

The search team burst forth from their cover. One of them yelled out. "Don't move!"

They approached slowly, and Sam spoke just loud enough for Rodesh to hear. "Think rottweiler."

He looked at her and made a sound she could only assume was disgust.

"Ok, ok, be the Chewie to my Han Solo..."

Rodesh's gaze only lingered for a moment before he finally acquiesced. He took on an aggressive stance between Sam and the men. Even with his obvious injuries he was intimidating, causing them to halt their advance. It wasn't what she had originally planned, but had seemed like his best bet when they had come out. Sam purposely cowered deeper into his shadow.

"And I thought Torlan was exaggerating about this thing," one of the other men replied.

Rodesh hissed. They gripped their weapons tighter.

"Wait, wait!" Sam burst forward, making a show of pushing Rodesh back. "Don't kill him, ok?"

She turned to address Rodesh, knowing under any other circumstances she'd be getting herself in some big trouble. "Down."

Sam couldn't tell who was more surprised by the command, Rodesh or the Uderi. For a moment all of them looked at her quizzically. Reluctantly, he shrank back. Sam made herself ignore the deep rumble that Rodesh now emitted. Knowing it was aimed at her as much as the Uderi.

"What in hell?" the first man said.

Sam shrugged. "You just have to know how to talk to them. Look, these things are too valuable to go killing a perfectly good one."

"Really?" He sounded interested.

"Excellent labor. Even better protection. You just need to have the right handler."

The man frowned. "We'll see. He does anything I don't like and that's it."

Pulling out rough ropes, they tied their captives' hands behind their backs.

*

There had been few breaks given on the return to the mine. Even through the night their captors made them continue on. Rodesh's injuries had long since gone numb, a physiological response to the repetitive motions. They were almost to their destination, walking up the road that lead to the mountain. He was glad to have the journey finally over.

The head guard stood near the entrance, awaiting their arrival. His stare was dangerous, and focused solely upon Sam. Rodesh was barely given a glance.

"Why is it here?" he asked gruffly.

The leader of the search group looked flustered. "She said that his kind had value. We thought to let you sort it out."

The head guard waved them aside impatiently. "Put it with the collaborators. I will decide its usefulness later."

He was given over to several waiting guards. Rodesh hissed as the ropes were pulled sharply, jarring his injured limb. He spared Sam one final look before they lead him off. It really was a stupid plan, he thought yet again.

They took him to a room like the one he had been chained to with Sam in the first place. It wasn't the same one, he knew the basic layout of the mines well enough. The two men immediately stood up at the sight of him, pulling to the very limits of their bonds.

"Rodesh!" Jeefun shouted in surprise. He quickly turned to anger. "What have you done to him?"

Sessn quickly joined in. "You will know pain."

While they spoke in English, as a result of the cloaks, Rodesh spoke in their own language. "Check yourselves."

Anger still filled their expressions, but they went silent. The guards looked confused, though were apparently happy enough that the men stopped shouting that they didn't question it. Instead they shackled Rodesh and went back into the hall. Rodesh slid down into a sitting position.

"How severely are you wounded?" Jeefun asked.

"I will recover. No more questions. Listen carefully to what is going to happen."

They listened intently as he described the plan.

*

The uneven rock wall dug into Sam's back as the head guard held her tightly against it. Blood trickled down from her busted lip, streaking down her neck and soaking into the collar of her shirt. His grip was tight enough to leave more bruises. While he looked on her without a word, Sam swallowed, tasting blood. Knowing this was going to be bad enough, she purposely didn't meet his gaze.

"You have caused me a great deal of trouble," he said. His voice was even, but Sam could still plainly hear his displeasure.

It was not hard to fill her voice with sincerity, thinking of all her ordeals. "It's not going to happen again. I've learned my lesson there."

"If it were my decision, you would be dead now."

"Then," Sam replied cautiously, "I'm glad it's not your decision."

"Gelan insists that you must live, and sustain no lasting injuries. But in all other matters, it _is_ my decision."

He tossed her to the ground and Sam rolled with the momentum to lessen the impact. It still left her side throbbing. She started to get up, but quickly thought better of it. Sam looked at him from where she had froze, propped up on one arm. He waited, perhaps for her to get up so he'd have further excuse to tip deeper into his anger.

Sam had no desires to indulge him.

"You claim to have learned your lesson?" he asked.

"Yes."

Before responding, the guard took on an almost thoughtful expression. "I would be remiss in my duties if I simply took you at your word."

He kicked Sam's shoulder, knocking her onto her back. As soon as she was down, his foot came to rest on her chest, pinning her. The pressure increased until she was grimacing. Sam tried to push him away, but that only made him press down even harder. She couldn't breathe.

"I guess you should be commended for eluding capture for so long. As tedious as it was for me, I am truly impressed. It has been so long since we had to deal with true defiance."

Just as her vision began to gray and fill with spots, the guard pulled his foot away. Sam rolled onto her side and gasped for air. He laughed at her actions, amused at her obvious pain. The sudden reintroduction of air had her head throbbing, and her chest was on fire. It seemed to take forever before she got her breathing back under control, and the pain more manageable.

"We'll continue this after you've had some time to recover. I would not want to harm you too much."

*

Teal'c sat with his eyes closed in kel'no'reem. He no longer needed to do it to survive, but it did help to keep his mind sharp. There was also a soothing aspect to the action that was as much a part of his life as breathing. Also, while chained to a wall, there wasn't much else to do to pass the time. At least this way he could bring his subconscious into play, perhaps finding options he was too distracted to come up with on his own.

So far, nothing had come to him.

They had been given some water. Not much, though. Certainly not as much as they could have used. Easily seen as the taunt it was meant to be. But it had been something. It had wetted their throats, even if it did nothing to ease their actual thirst.

Sounds of approaching footsteps pulled Teal'c from his meditation. Guards changing shifts or passing by wasn't anything new, but he could already tell that this wasn't the usual. There were too many feet. Often they just came alone, maybe in pairs. But he could hear three distinct gaits. One less steady than the others.

He watched the doorway as the footsteps neared. Two guards rounded the corner with a smaller form held between them. Teal'c recognized Sam immediately, rising to his feet in one fluid motion.

"Major Carter," he called out. Jack and Daniel stirred at his outburst. She caught his gaze for a moment before they pulled her to the opposite side of the room and the free set of shackles there. Her clothes told the story of her journey, caked in layers of dirt and grime. While she was clearly worse for wear, Sam looked more impatient than anything else. Not the kind of appearance he would expect from her after being recaptured. Leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed, she waited for the guards to restrain her and then leave.

They were all silent until the guards' footsteps disappeared into the distance. Sam didn't make any immediate moves, apparently happy to just sit there for a while. Knowing that what little he could see was only the start, Teal'c couldn't blame her.

"Carter?" Jack said tentatively.

"Yes, sir," she replied, finally giving them all a once over. Showing relief that they were relatively unharmed. Teal'c eyed her suspiciously. She was concealing something. But he was still unsure whether it was positive or negative.

"What's your condition, Major?"

Sam shrugged, masking most of the stiffness that came with the action. "Mobile."

"Well, it was a good try," Jack said. He came to the logical conclusion that she had been taken before reaching the stargate. Otherwise, why would she be here now? "You did manage to piss them off, at least."

"Yes, sir," Teal'c saw her expression change as she locked eyes with Jack. Relaying what she could not say in words with the guard outside the door. "They got me before I could get anywhere near the stargate. No rescues tonight I'm afraid."

And they all immediately realized she meant the exact opposite of what she said. Daniel stammered. "Well... that's too bad. I was really looking forward to getting out of here, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I let you guys down."

Teal'c nodded in understanding. "It is a most unfortunate turn of events."

*

It was about an hour later when Sam heard footsteps walking away from the room. She listened to the sounds fade into the distance. When they were gone, Teal'c spoke.

"The guard has moved down the hall. We have several minutes to speak before his return."

Sam frowned at the unprofessional act until Jack added, "Guess the man likes to stretch out his legs."

"It's going to happen just before they close up for the night. So the guards and miners will be spread out. The more miners we can get free, the more manpower they'll have to keep here just to maintain control," Sam began explaining.

Jack wasn't happy. "Why the hell are you back here? That was reckless, Carter."

She couldn't meet his eyes, knowing his disappointment was valid. It didn't matter that it wouldn't have stopped her from doing it anyway. Sam always found it hard when she didn't seem to live up to the expectations of those around her. For the time being she put her shame aside, she could spend the rest of her life begging for forgiveness if need be.

"Well, sir, I thought these could make things go a bit more easily." Sam pulled at the defective seam inside of her jacket. Part of her requisition from the SGC, she had simply ground the garment into the dirt until it looked as bad as the rest of her clothes. Sewn into the lining were a few things to get them out. A few things being several chunks of a magnesium compound to burn out the locks on their restraints.

She passed out the pieces, and everyone hid them away in a pocket. There was no reason for them to get searched, plus there was no guarantee for another opportunity to hand them out before it was time to act.

"There was no guarantee we'd be locked up here, we could have been back with all the other miners for all you knew." Jack wasn't done dressing her down.

"Yes, sir," Sam replied a little harsher than she normally would. "They could have had you anywhere. But they are cocky, giving a very good chance I would have seen one of you at some point, if for no other reason than to prove to you that I didn't make it. This actually simplifies things a bit. Besides, I didn't come back alone."

"Carter?"

"I made a deal with the alien." She almost winced at her own words, knowing that if Jack was mad at her now, it was only going to get worse.

And worse it got. "A deal? Should I chalk this up to head trauma? I mean, it did try to kill you."

"It's complicated," Sam insisted.

"Well I guess to hell it is!" His voice was barely restrained, only slightly louder than before.

Sam's jaw clenched in frustration. She was preparing to defend her actions when Teal'c interrupted her. "The guard is returning."

Biting her lip, Sam's gaze locked with Jack's. Neither was ready to back down. After a few moments they both looked away, staring angrily in opposite directions. A tense silence lingered that no one was really comfortable in breaking.

Time slowly passed until the head guard came with another guard following behind. He stopped in the doorway, looking all too pleased with himself. The smile on his face made Sam's stomach clench.

"Well isn't this a cozy little reunion?"

Jack looked up impatiently. "Are you quite done here? I think we all get the point."

The man seemed to ponder the words for a few moments. Looking at each of them in turn, assessing them. "No. Perhaps tomorrow I'll let you all return to your duties. Until then, I want to be sure that this lesson is not soon forgotten."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that."

Sam stared defiantly as the other guard came forward and undid her restraints. All while the head guard continued to look on at them. He turned back to Jack to respond. "Certainly not."

She was being led across the room when Jack spoke. "Carter." Everyone stopped and she turned to look at him, a questioning look on her face. "You and me are going to have a long talk later."

While he may have been trying to reassure her, Sam also knew that he was being entirely serious. Later was going to be a very unpleasant time for her.

"Yes, sir."


	7. Chapter 7

Rodesh had been extremely careful to control his breathing. He focused on that task as he undid the bandage on his arm, peeling away the sodden gauze. Disturbing the wound caused a small amount of blood to trickle forth, but mostly the injury remained clotted. It didn't matter, though, his attention was entirely on what lay hidden in the gauze. He peeled the dried clump apart, until the plastic bag within was freed. He tossed a small brick to Jeefun and Sessn, keeping one for himself.

The time to make their move had come.

Unfortunately it was far too dangerous to stuff the magnesium compound into the locks on their shackles, but they could use it to burn through the chain where it met the wall. In unison, they lit the fuses and did just that.

"What's going on?" the guard muttered to the hissing sound in the room that preceded the snapping of weakened chains. Jeefun and Sessn were on him immediately, crushing the man against the wall before he had a chance to react. The guard fell to the ground limply, never even having a chance to call out.

"I still do not agree with this," Jeefun stated. He angrily disarmed the guard, handing a knife over to Sessn while keeping the spear for himself. Stripping the guard, Jeefun donned his clothes as well. Sessn began to undo the locks with the tip of the knife blade.

Rodesh let his own impatience fill his words. "It is our best chance for freedom. And now is too late to turn back."

"They are enemies. You should have just killed her and been done with it," Sessn added.

"That would not have helped our people! The longer we are here, the longer we are not assisting them. Now be silent, this is not a time for arguments!"

Jeefun gave a heavy sigh, but neither spoke further. Jeefun went off to start releasing miners while Rodesh and Sessn kept to the outskirt shafts. Uncloaked, Rodesh could not risk being seen by the population. Miners as well as guards would not react well to his presence. They went slowly, careful not to get caught. Around the next corner they saw another guard standing at another room. Without a word, Rodesh handed Sessn an empty bucket that had been discarded nearby.

Anticipating the plan, Sessn took it with a nod. He gripped it so the contents, or lack thereof, would not be immediately obvious. Head down, Sessn walked down the hallway exuding subservience.

"Where are you going?" the guard immediately asked.

Rodesh listened to the hesitant reply. "I've been tasked to bring you water, sir."

"Good, get over here then." There was a pause as the guard apparently looked into the bucket. "What is this?"

At the sound of flesh hitting rock, Rodesh made his way down the hall. He saw the guard on the ground and Sessn rifling through his belongings. Then the same hiss and snaps echoed through the room that was now unguarded. As Teal'c's large frame exited the room, Sessn turned with his newly acquired spear up in a defensive posture.

"Sessn!" Rodesh warned. He stared down his brother until he lowered the weapon.

Jack came out and looked between the two aliens, one cloaked and the other one not. Rodesh made no move as the man sized them both up.

"Oh yeah," Jack said, apparently to himself, "a _very_ long talk."

Rodesh tilted his head at the displeasure in the man's voice.

Jack addressed Rodesh, seeing how Sessn had deferred to him. "So, what reason could we possibly have to trust you?"

"The same can be said for you," Sessn replied sharply.

"We didn't try to invade your planet," Jack snapped.

Daniel grabbed the man's shoulder. "Perhaps we should set this aside for the moment?"

Rodesh gave a curt nod. He just wanted to get this over with, but of course the Colonel had to live up to his reputation of being difficult. Eventually, he nodded as well. When Rodesh came forward, Teal'c stood in his way.

"It would be unwise to give us reason to regret this decision."

He didn't bother to reply. There was little point as it was clear the large man had said his piece, and meant it completely.

"Ok, boss man took Carter. Teal'c you go with our human-like friend here and work on the miners." Jack pointed to Rodesh. "You come with us. And you better not screw this up."

Knowing when it was best to keep quiet, Rodesh simply followed Jack and Daniel. It took significant effort to keep up with their pace. They were clearly worried about their teammate. He wanted to hope she had gotten herself into further trouble, knew that it was how he should feel. Or at the very least be indifferent to her fate. But she had shown herself to be far more resilient than he had ever expected, and he was hesitant to examine his feelings on the matter.

Soon the sounds of commotion began echoing through the shafts. The chaos had begun.

*

Sam gripped the head guard's arm as it tensed around her throat. Standing behind her, he laughed as she struggled for air that wouldn't come. In the brief time he had shown his favor for suffocation, never quite holding it long enough to make her pass out. And he waited for her breathing to return to normal before trying again. Which told her he had been at this sort of thing long enough to realize how dangerous it could be.

She wondered how pissed Gelan would be if he managed to turn her into a vegetable.

Falling to the floor yet again, Sam didn't hear it at first. The pounding in her ears masked the sounds of shouting as fights began to break out. In fact, she noticed the puzzled expression on the head guard's face before she heard the sound. She had known the time was getting close, so it wasn't hard to deduce the problem just by the look on his face.

He pulled her up by her collar, then started off to find the source of the disturbance. Sam fought to keep her feet under her while she tried to get her scattered brain focused back on the moment. She listened to him mutter angrily.

"Hey!" Jack's voice called from behind. It made the head guard spin around. The suddenness of the motion had Sam's head spinning.

"So you're the cause of this, also?" he said angrily. When the dizziness passed, Sam saw Jack and Daniel staring at her. The guard pulled her back against his side, and Sam felt the knife handle dig against her hip.

"Yeah, so why don't you let her go now and save yourself the grief?"

"I don't think so."

Sam twisted and grabbed at the knife. Between her unsteadiness and his quick reactions, the blade only grazed his side. The head guard's elbow slammed into her face, and Sam felt the blood gushing from her nose even as she fell back against the wall. She didn't know what happened to the knife, only that she wasn't holding it and she didn't hear it hit the ground.

"Carter!"

"Sam!" The calls came in unison, and she heard them rushing forward. She also heard the guard's outrage. When she looked up at him, she saw that the knife was drawn back and poised to strike. Her arms came up instinctually to protect against the blow.

There was a scream of pain, strangely not hers, and the sound of bones snapping. Rodesh was there, having come in from behind. The knife hand was gripped tightly in his hand, the arm twisted at such a harsh angle it was blatant where the broken bones were. Even before she finished processing the sight, Jack and Daniel had slammed into the fray, and they all fell heavily to the ground.

She watched the knife clatter away as blows rained down. He didn't stand a chance. Sam used the wall to pull herself up, watching with a good deal of satisfaction. But, it wasn't quite enough.

"Guys," she called out. No one responded.

"Guys!" Finally they looked up, stopping their assault of the half conscious man. Sam winced at the throbbing in her skull caused by her yelling. The blood running from her nose went unnoticed. With one hand she motioned them aside. "If you don't mind."

Wordlessly, they stood and got out of her way. It wasn't nearly enough to make up for everything, but she was going to take it. As she reared back, and then let her foot fly full force into his unprotected groin, Sam felt no remorse. The guard let out a choked sob as he curled up. And from beside her she could hear the sympathetic groans.

"Ouch," Daniel said.

"Very ouch," Jack concurred.

She thought even Rodesh looked uncomfortable.

The moment was interrupted by a guard rounding the corner, running in the opposite direction for his life. Two miners followed close behind bearing pickaxes and lengths of chain dragging on stone. They were so caught up in their task that they never noticed the humans or the alien watching them go by.

"Looks like it's working," Jack said.

Sam nodded slightly, finally using her sleeve to stem the blood flow. Daniel wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they started on.

*

Teal'c looped the point of the pickaxe through another length of chain, using the tool as a lever. Straining, the chain snapped from where it was connected to the wall. Mimicking his actions, the miners used another of their pickaxes on the other side and broke it with their combined strength. Still chained to each other, they took off with their tools and joined the fray.

The mines were alight with activity. Guards struggled to defend themselves, or gave up entirely and ran as fast as they could go. Miners shouted enthusiastically, being as close to free as they had ever been in their lives. They were eager to show their appreciation at being locked away in a mine.

Many groups had broken themselves out, taking the opportunity as it presented itself. With things in full swing now, Teal'c pulled back from the activity, the alien that had identified himself as Sessn following. They had met up with Jeefun, and now just had to locate the others.

As they wound their way through the less chaotic areas of the mine, they almost literally ran into SG-6.

"Colonel Ryan," Teal'c greeted as they lowered their weapons.

The man nodded. "Teal'c. These are our friends, I take it?"

The hesitation in Ryan's tone was clear. Apparently he liked this as much as Jack did. "Indeed."

Ryan spoke into his radio. "SG-6 to SG-8, we've got Teal'c and two of the friendlies. Any sign of the others?"

Colonel Pryer responded. "Nothing yet."

"All right, let's keep looking."

Most of their effort was spent staying out of the way of the fights. For whatever reason the miners didn't bother them, perhaps because it was blatantly obvious that they weren't guards. Nor could they in any way be mistaken as people from the village. Teal'c knew how these kind of brawls generally entangled people that had nothing to do with them, so the restraint was surprising. What they really needed to do was get out before that started to change.

They were back at one of the mine's exits when the call came through the radio. "SG-8 here, we found the others and are on our way out now."

"Copy, we're on the southeast side. Meet up at the designated area."

The designated area was a forested section about a kilometer from the mine. As they waited for the others to arrive, Teal'c watched the show. Night had fallen completely, so all that could be seen were the numerous torches streaming from the mine. Some went down towards the village, and others simply fled off into the wilderness. Very few of them were guards, he knew, because they had mostly been routed at that point. Which meant that a large pack of miners were off to continue their mission for revenge.

"Coming in!" Pryer shouted in warning as they approached.

Teal'c watched them approach, relieved to see everyone accounted for. He offered up one of his rare smiles as Jack, Daniel, and Sam came up.

"It is good to see you all well," Teal'c said. Though 'well' was a very relative term.

"Backatcha," Jack replied.

They took the moment to pass out water and power bars. While the distraction seemed to be working as planned, no one was particularly anxious to stick around any longer than necessary. It wasn't long before they were on their way towards the stargate. The cover of night served to further discourage anyone from following.

Daniel helped Sam along, though she tried to appear like she didn't need the assistance. Teal'c could see through her act, and he was sure the rest of the team was well aware of her condition. It was difficult for them to hide the truth from each other. They had been together far too long for that. But they were all equally aware of each other's stubbornness. So for now, no one pressed, but Teal'c noticed that Jack was not far off, like himself.

The rest of Teal'c's attention was focused on the aliens. Sam had apparently seen enough in the aliens, at least in the one she had escaped with, to trust them a certain amount. He wondered what could have happened in the previous days that could change things so much. Clearly he had her reasons, and Teal'c was interested to hear just what they were. While he was confused, he trusted her judgment enough to give them the benefit of the doubt.

That didn't mean that he wouldn't keep a careful watch of them.

*

They took frequent short breaks. Sam quickly realized they were largely for her benefit. Normally she would protest the perceived coddling, but at this point she was hardly one to argue. So when they stopped yet again, the sun starting to peek above the horizon, she sunk gratefully against a nearby tree.

Jack was immediately in front of her, holding out a canteen. "Drink."

Sam took it without a word. After several deep drinks, she handed it back. Daniel sat down beside her. He had been helping her the entire time, and like the breaks, she was simply too tired to shrug him off. Her head hadn't stopped pounding since back in the mines. It was only one in a large list of complaints she had. Apart from all the other trouble she knew she would be in, Janet was certainly going to give her a hell of a time too. Sam pondered what it was going to take to get her friend back on her good side. It was just going to take one look, and Sam knew she would get several rounds of very large needles out of spite.

"How are you doing?" Daniel asked.

Sam gave him a smile. "I'm ok."

He smiled back, an insincere _I know you're lying to me_ smile. So she changed tactics, going with something that was absolutely the truth. "I just want to get back home."

"Yeah. Don't we all?" The words were spoken in wholehearted agreement.

The journey was quiet. Just as she thought, the Uderi were far too busy with the miners to spare anyone to come after them. And, Sam thought, as a bright side maybe the miners would find a way to secure their continued freedom. She hoped things would change for the better, it was distressing that they had learned nothing after driving away the Goa'uld, merely continuing the cycle. Whichever way it might go, she would be in no rush to return.

It was well into the next evening when they finally reached the stargate again. Sam was really starting to flag, and even the relief at being so close to home didn't give her a boost. Daniel was all but dragging her for the last leg.

The aliens hadn't said a word during the entire trip. They kept to themselves, as wary of the humans as the humans were of them. Sam could feel the mistrust, and it was evident on Jeefun and Sessn's faces. Whatever Rodesh may have said to them had kept them quiet, but they were far from accepting of the situation. Their expressions wavered from disgust when they looked at her, to something like pity when they looked upon Rodesh. In an odd way she felt comforted to know that she wouldn't be the only one to have difficulty when all this was over.

It was decided that the aliens would leave first. This was the only arrangement the SGC personnel would accept. That way the aliens would be gone and they wouldn't have to worry about some trick. Thankfully, Rodesh and the others chose not to argue.

Sam watched as Sessn inputted an address she was not familiar with. Probably not their actual destination. The wormhole connected with its usual splendor. Jeefun and Sessn walked up the steps, but Rodesh did not immediately follow. Realizing that he was not with them, they stopped and looked back. He ignored them, instead turning to Sam.

"May we never meet again." Rodesh gave a slight nod, then disappeared through the stargate with the other two following behind.

She found it odd that his words were probably the nicest thing he could have said to her. Because if they met again, there would be no guarantees of the situation. Nothing had really changed between their two peoples, so another meeting could easily mean the death of one. And she realized that it had been his way of saying he didn't want to have to kill her.

"Carter," Jack said, snapping her out of her musing.

"Sir?"

"After Frasier's had her way with you... you're mine." The tense set of his jaw made her realize she was in trouble. However, when one brow raised, Sam thought that maybe she wouldn't get it as badly as she had feared.

Maybe...

_FIN_


End file.
